Kagerou School Days
by NekuSakuraba101
Summary: AU. . . Where in which everyone from Kagerou days is actually 'Normal' and they grow up and go to high school. Its sounds suckish I know, but it's better than my summary. Multiple pairings Rated T for cussing and 'suggestive themes'. . . 11/4: Happy Birthday Hibiya !
1. The 1st day

**A/N: So this is a story that I wrote with one of my best friends, Commander M. They idea was actually inspired when we talked about how it would be if Takane ran a mile. Yea good times *flash back* Anyway I'd like to point out a few things. 1) The title of this story is really bad and I might change it if I find a better one (suggestions are very welcome), so sorry about that. 2) I'm working on two other stories with this one so if updates don't come consistently, sorry. 3) I'm very bad at writing romance, so if you think it's crappy, sorry. 4) the story goes through the entire year of school so the chapters go according to what day of the year it is from when they started school, including the days they are on vacation. 5) Everyone is probably OOC, so sorry. Remember this is how everyone's lives would be like if everyone was normal so it might be boring for some people. I actually don't know how this first chapter got so long. I love this story though, it's like my baby, so I'd really like feedback on it, so please review. **

**~ Neku ~**

** ~The 1****st**** day~**

"Since I am a reasonable teacher, I am alright with you students sitting in seats that you've picked yourself."

Ayano's eyes lit up happily and she gave Shintaro a friendly shove. He smiled back kind of awkwardly, not exactly knowing how to react.

"Come on Shintaro, lets go sit by the window," said Ayano. She grabbed Shintaro's hand and started leading him to a pair of desks near the window.

"Ayano, you don't need to hold my hand. I know where the desks are." Shintaro protested.

"Oh, I know silly~" She sang. Hearing her words Shintaro could feel his face grow warm and his hand developed a sudden stiffness in hers. Ayano looked back at his sudden quietness. "Are you blushing, Shintaro-kun?" she giggled.

"N-no, I'm n-not!" he stuttered. Ayano continued to giggle, but let go of his hand, sat down in her chosen desk, and swung her school bag off her shoulder and letting it sit down by her feet, "Whatever lets you sleep at night."

Shintaro thought about retorting back, but decided against it, sitting down in the desk next to Ayano and swallowing what was left of his pride.

After everyone was seated again Ms. Konishi cleared her throat. "The assignment today is very simple. For the rest of the period you will take this quiz," She held up thin stack of papers.

"It's not going to be graded, it is merely for me to see what your weak and strong points are as of now." She started down the rows and distributed the paper. Once everyone had a paper, they were free to begin.

Two minutes later Ayano whispered over to Shintaro. "Psst, Shintaro."

"Hmm?"

"What did you get for the first one at the top, on the line." she asked and made a gesture of a line with her finger.

Shintaro blinked and looked down at his paper, "Um. . . Kisaragi Shintaro?" he offered.

"Great!" She said and started scribbling down an answer.

"Wait, wait. Ayano, you're supposed to write down _your _name."

Ayano turned her head back towards him and smiled. "I know Shintaro, I was just teasing." She tapped on her chin and gave an embarrassed look, "You don't think I'm that stupid do you?"

"I-I never said-" Shintaro started, but the teacher's voice cut him off.

"No talking!"

* * *

Takane rested her head sideways on one of her arms while the other arm hung limply off her desk. She sighed in annoyance which just came out as an indignant huff of air.

"Something wrong Takane?" She glanced next to her at her best friend Haruka whose brown eyes looked at her curiously.

"No I'm not fine!" Takane screeched and slammed her hands on the desk, causing both Haruka and Mary who had been sitting in the back of the room reading to flinch.

"We've been sitting in this God forsaken classroom for a half an hour now without a teacher!" She continued raging, "I mean, this is no way for us to be treated."

Haruka just smiled and set down the drawing pad he'd been drawing in, "I'm sure it wasn't on purpose." he said.

"Yeah sure. They'd probably do anything to get rid of us students."

"Really?" asked Mary in the back.

Haruka turned around to face Mary, "No, Takane's just angry that's all." he said assuringly, and Mary seemed to relax.

"Hmph."

Then there was a knock on the classroom door, and all heads looked up.

"Hiya~" said Seto, and he waved a hand that held a ring with two keys on it.

"Oh it's just Seto." said Takane, "Be glad you're not the teacher or I would have strangled you."

"Um okay, nice to see you too, Takane." he said uneasily.

"Why are you here anyway?" asked Haruka.

"I'm supposed to be the T.A for this class now. So they sent me over here to take attendance." He stared around at the three student classroom, "But it doesn't seem like there a lot of people here huh?"

"Welcome to the 'special' class; population: 3" Takane cheered sarcastically.

"Well, I still have to take roll. Even if you guys are the only ones here." Seto walked over to the teacher's desk and rummaged through the drawers for a pen and paper and soon was writing their names down. Takane drummed a beat on her desk; While Haruka tried humming along cheerfully. And Mary continued to read her book, but found herself every once in a while glancing up from the pages and looking over at Seto.

"By the way, Seto," Seto looked up from the desk, "Who is our teacher that never showed up?" asked Haruka.

"Ayano's dad, Mr. Tateyama."

Immediately Takane's head shot up from her desk. "What!?" she demanded, "No wonder we were stuck here all period by ourselves if we have _him_ for a teacher." She clenched her fists, "I am really gonna have to talk to Ayano."

"Now, now calm down," Haruka laughed nervously and put a hand on Takane's shoulder.

"I'm fine," she insisted and shrugged his hand off. "Let's just go," she said and grabbed her backpack before walking toward the door.

"Hey you can't just leave-" said Seto, but then the bell rang. Takane gave Seto a little satisfied smirk and left the class. After she left Haruka sighed, but wore an amused smile.

"See ya Seto," he said before leaving to catch up with Takane.

"Bye," Seto called after. He placed the piece of paper he'd been writing on down and then noticed Mary was still in her same seat in the back, and still reading. Seto smiled to himself. _Just like when she's at home_, he thought to himself. He got up from the table and walked over to her seat.

"Whatcha reading?" he asked when he was right next to her.

"Uuwwwaaa! Seto you scared me!" she said startled.

"Oh, sorry." he chuckled, "I didn't mean too. Mary relaxed slightly back into her chair, and left out a quivering breath. "It's fine."

"I just thought I'd let you know the period is over and you might want to get to your next class."

"Oh right." Quickly Mary grabbed her book bag and began to leave.

"Lets meet up at lunch okay?" he said as she began heading out.

"Mmm" she said, in too much of a hurry to say much more.

* * *

"Ugh, dammit, why did I ever agree to this?" groaned Kido.

Kido stopped in her tracks. Kano, who'd been walking right behind her now passed her up as she stopped.

"Stupid, godamn skirt!" Kido cursed. She grabbed the end of the gray and dark pink fabric and pulled it down to her knees. She did it at least three times, but each time the skirt kept riding up causing screams of frustration from the green haired girl.

Kano watched with great amusement at her clothing struggled. "Kido if you don't hurry up we're going to be late to class." his words came out chocked as he tried to stifle his laughter.

"We're already late, idiot." Kido grumbled. She tried one more time to make her skirt come lower, but again it came up. Kido let out one more irritated screech before she gave up and started stomping back toward the classroom with Kano following right behind her.

Even as they walked Kido still wound up pulling her skirt down involuntarily, trying to stretch the fabric down as far as she could make it go. Kano couldn't take it anymore and burst out into a fit of laughter.

Kido turned around to glare at him. "What?" she demanded.

Kano held his stomach and panted as he tried to stop his laughter, "Why did you even wear that in the first place?"

Kido's face turned slightly red at the comment. "Onee-chan said it would look nice on me."

"Did she tell you to wear your hair like that too?" Kano asked teasingly.

Immediately Kido punched him in the face with such force it knocked Kano back onto the ground. Her hand then went involuntarily to her hair where it was tied into a side ponytail by a pale yellow bow.

"Ow! Kido that hurt." Kano whined as he rubbed his left cheek, but his usual grin was still plastered to his face.

"Shut up." she said harshly as she pulled the bow loose from her hair, letting the hair from it hang loosely.

"Geez, when did you become so cold?"

"The same day you became an idiot."

"Aww, but you were so cute when you were little," said Kano picking himself back up from the ground and making a little gesture with his hand at Kido's once small height.

"Shut up." said Kido again and turned to start walking again. "Lets go before we're any later."

But Kano didn't move and slightly swayed on the spot he gotten up from. He clutched his head with one of his hands as he felt it dizzying.

"Kido I think you gave me brain damage." the blonde said as he rubbed is temples counter clockwise.

"You can't damage what you never had." Kido said without even looking back.

"But it hurts." complained Kano.

"Stop whining and get your butt over here."

Immediately Kano was by her side grinning as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Why? Do you miss me and my wonderful butt that much?" he teased.

Kano soon felt a hand smack against his face, "No."

* * *

"Mr. Amamiya." Hibiya looked up from the paper he'd been doodling on. "Would you run the attendance down to the office please?" asked the teacher. Hibiya nodded and went up to the front desk to collect the paper from the teacher.

The hallway was empty which made it look brighter and larger than it had when Hibiya had been pushing his way through the crowd looking for the right classroom. So far he wasn't enjoying his first day of high school as much as everyone assured him he would.

He was pretty sure he knew-or rather remembered-where the office was. He wondered if he was even going the right way. This school felt so big he wondered if he'd get lost in it.

Finally, when he was just about to give up Hibiya turned the corner and found the sign stretching out from the wall by the door. He breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn't wanted to look like some idiot who couldn't find his way around an always needed help.

Hibiya wanted to make this quick, so he walked in, handed the papers to the lady, and walked out. Only he couldn't walk out because right when he turned the knob and opened the door he felt it impact with something else. There was a loud thump and a painful scream of, "OW!" followed by another thump.

Hibiya squeezed through the space he'd already opened with the door and found a girl, flat on her back, rubbing her forehead.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry," said Hibiya and offered a hand to help her up. She opened one of her brown eyes to look at him before she took his hand.

"Again, I'm really, really sorry." he said again. The girl didn't say anything, but brushed herself off and straightened out her clothing. Hibiya just watched her; she seemed like a nice girl with a dress and pigtails. She didn't seem like one of those girls who would beat you up for doing things like that. He'd already seen how Kano got along with that and preferred not to have the same fate.

The girl turned towards him and smiled sweetly. "It's alright I'm sure you didn't mean it."

Her smile made Hibiya's heart do a little flip in his chest. "Um, um I-I think you should-d go to t-the nurses o-office." Hibiya couldn't stop himself from stuttering. The girl rubbed her forehead where the bump from the door started swelling.

"Um yeah. . .Do you know where the nurse's office is?" she asked.

Hibiya rubbed the back of his head and thought. "I _think_ I do."

"Do you think you could take me there, please?" the girl clasped her hands together and gave him a pleading smile.

"Uh. . . Sure."

"Thanks," she said and started walking toward the opposite end of the hall.

"This way?"

"Mm." Hibiya walked shoulder to shoulder with her. It was kind of strange how he went from delivering attendance to meeting a girl and walking her to the nurse's office. I would have been better, though, if he hadn't been the reason she needed to go there anyways.

"So stranger, are you going to tell me your name or do I have to ask?" the girl asked.

"Oh, um. . . Hibiya Amamiya, that's my name. Kinda weird huh?"

"No, I like it." the girl said and gave him another smile. Hibiya's heart gave another little flip just like the first time.

"My name is Hiyori Asahina."

_It's beautiful, _was on the tip of Hibiya's tongue, but thankfully he saved himself from the embarrassment of saying it.

"I like your name too." Hibiya said and smiled.

* * *

"Why are you guys so late?" Ayano whispered from her desk as Kido and Kano walked past it. But Kido just shook her head and walked silently passed the desks and to her own seat. Thankfully, the teacher didn't notice, or rather didn't care that they'd come in late.

"Do you have to sit next to me?" Kido groaned when Kano sat in the desk next to hers. "Of course. I have to sit next to my favorite person in the world." Kano grinned. Kido just rolled her eyes and buried her head between her crossed arms.

"And just why are you two late. . .and wet?" Kido heard the teacher say. There were then mumblings from the other classmates that echoed around the room.

"Um well, you see. . ."

Kido pulled her head up to see a boy and girl standing in the doorway to the classroom. Both of them stood with their school uniforms fully soaked with what appeared to be water.

"Wow, the first day of school is just full of surprises," Kano mused as he watched the scene with interest.

"There was a cat, and the fountain, and. . . We kind of fell in." the girl said quietly.

"Just go sit down in your seats please."

"Okay" Both of them walked to their desks, their shoes making noise that sounded like water sloshing through their shoes. When they walked closer Kido noticed the only two available desks were on the other side of her and the other on the other side of Kano. The girl sat on Kido's side and the boy sat next to Kano.

Kido glanced over at the girl who just sat straight forward in her seat and watched the water drip off her brown curly hair and glasses. She seemed to be in a very good mood despite being completely soaked.

"Hannah."

The girl, who Kido supposed was Hannah, looked over at the boy and smiled.

"That was awesome," she said.

"I know it was," replied the boy.

"So you planned that?" asked Kano.

"We'll not exactly," said the boy.

"We saw another guy actually fall in there earlier today. It looked like fun so we tried it, right Javier."

"Yup," said the boy, now known as Javier.

Kido felt like somewhat of an outcast as she was caught in the middle of the group conversation, even though she wasn't even in it.

_Ugh, I hope the whole year isn't gonna be like this, _Kido complained mentally.

"I like your hoodie."

Kido was pulled out of her thoughts by the girl looking at her.

"What- Oh thanks" said Kido.

Hannah smiled, "Yeah, I like your hair too. It's really pretty. All of you is really pretty."

Kido blinked not really knowing what to say after the compliment. "Uh, thanks I guess."

"Aw Kido has a little fan." Kano snickered and Kido shot an evil glare in his direction.

"Hey Mary~" Set called when he saw the white haired girl come out of the classroom.

"Hi." she replied rather quietly. He noticed that she avoided looking at him and held her book tightly to her chest.

"Is something wrong Mary?" Seto asked with concern. Mary just shook her head and continued to stare at the ground.

"Well lets go to lunch and see everyone okay?" said Seto and they started walking.

When they were almost to the cafeteria Seto spoke again. "Y'know Mary, it's just school you can be yourself around me just like you do at home." he said, "It doesn't matter what people think."

"I know," Mary said quietly. Then she looked up at Seto and smiled, "You always know what to say Seto."

* * *

"So where do you wan to sit?" asked Seto.

"Where's everyone else?" asked Mary.

"I don't think there here yet," Seto said looking around the room for an empty table, "How about we sit over there."

"Okay." agreed Mary.

"Wait Seto I forgot to get juice." said Mary after they sat down at the table.

"I'll get some for you Mary." Seto said cheerfully and went to go get it.

Mary sat there by herself waiting for Seto to come back. She sat and pick gingerly at her food and then she remembered she still had her book and started to read. While reading she felt like someone was watching her. Mary looked up to see if anyone was watching her. At first she didn't notice anyone, but then she saw them.

It was a boy; he sat right at the table across from her. He was also. . . Staring at her with a creepy looking smile stretched across his face. He nodded to Mary when he saw her staring back at him, but Mary ignored it and put he head back down. But then looking through her hair she saw that he was _still _looking at her.

_Maybe if I ignore him he'll go away, _thought Mary,_ Oh Seto please come back soon._

She felt something brush up against her and looked up expecting it to be Seto, but instead it was the boy who had been staring at her before from the other table. Mary let out a frightened squeal and nearly dropping her book in the process as she scooted away from him.

"Hi I'm Jalin," said the boy, "How do you like me so far?"

"I-I-I . . . " Mary was tongue tied and her heart was still beating erratically from the mini heart attack she'd suffered from.

"Sorry, the voices in my head told me to come talk to you." he said and smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile; It was kinda creepy.

_Is he flirting with me? I can't tell! What do I do? I don't know what to do! _

"So what's your name?" Jalin asked leaning his elbow on the table.

"M-Mary."

"Hmm that's pretty." he said, "Y'know, I seem to have lost my phone number, could I borrow yours?" he asked.

"Um I-I don't have a-a. . . phone." Mary said. Jalin's face fell, "Oh."

"Sorry." said Mary.

"Well that's okay," Jalin smirked, "You can just be my girlfriend and we'll call it even."

_W-Wait what!? Call what even?_

"U-um I-I don't. . . Um-"

"It's okay, I'll take your nervousness as a yes."

"Ican'tbeyourgirlfriend!" blurted Mary.

"Huh why?" asked Jalin.

"Because. . . Because. . ." Mary racked frantically through her head, but she couldn't think of an excuse.

"Hey Mary~ I'm sorry it took me so long but they-" Seto was cut off when Mary suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Because Seto's my boyfriend!" Mary exclaimed. Both Jalin and Seto wore the same bewildered expression.

"You are?" asked Jalin skeptically narrowing his eyes at the pair. Seto then gave Mary a look saying, _yeah, we are?_

"Y-yes we are. I just didn't know how to break it to you. We've been going out for months now, right Seto?" Mary gave a pleading look as if to say, _just go with it please!_

"Um, yeah. We've been going out for quite awhile now." Seto laughed nervously, "Sorry about that."

Jalin turned and muttered something under his breath sounding a lot like, _that's what they all say._

"Okay." said Jalin, but he still glared at them with skepticism. "But I'll be watching you two very closely." He got up from the table and took his lunch with him before walking away.

As soon as Jalin left Mary started trembling violently. "Mary are you okay?"

"Not really," she muttered. "I am so sorry. I just-just panicked and I didn't know what to do and-"

"Mary it's alright. I don't mind, really. If it keeps you away from that guy I'd consider it more of a job of mine to do it." said Seto.

Mary blushed slightly, "Okay, Thank you Seto."

Seto laughed nervously, "I guess this means we need to spread the word we're together. Y'know so that guy will believe it."

Mary's cheeks reddened even more at the thought of actually telling people this. Her and Seto. Together. Boyfriend and Girlfriend.

* * *

"Eh? You guys go out? Since when?" asked Shintaro.

"For months now." said Seto.

"Wait did you mean for months, or four months?" asked Takane holding up four of her fingers.

"_For _months, not the number four."

"Oh."

"Ah Seto! How come you never told me?" whined Kano, "I thought we were best friends."

"He probably knew you'd come blabbing to the rest of us about it." Kido said.

"Ouch I'm hurt Kido. You'd think I'd do such a thing." Kano asked.

"Yes, I really do." Kido deadpanned.

"Well I think it's great," said Ayano happily, "Is that why you offered to go stay at Mary's house while her mom is at treatment?"

"W-well that's. . .certainly part of it." Seto said. _Subject change please._

"Oh yeah and I didn't tell you," Seto turned to Takane and Haruka. "The 'special' class isn't going to be just three anymore. It's going to be six."

"Huh? Why?" Haruka asked.

"Apparently they're moving the three transfer students we got this year into your class."

"Hmm how wonderful." Takane grumbled.

"How come they're moving to special class?" asked Ayano.

"Since the school has never done one of these transfers before they want to start out with putting the students in a lower level class before they have them in upper level."

"Ugh, but why are class?" Takane groaned, "Why do we have to get all _those_ people?"

"It's not even that many, just two or three." said Seto.

"Be nice Takane," Ayano scolded.

"Yeah, they're not all bad," said Kano, "I thought those two we met were pretty interesting." He leaned over next to Kido and poked her, "Right Kido?"

"Shut up idiot." said Kido as she elbowed Kano away from her.

"By the way, has anyone seen Hibiya?" asked Shintaro. Everyone shook their heads.

"Do you think he's okay?" asked Mary.

"Oh I'm sure he's fine." said Haruka.

"Yes, he's a big boy now," said teased Kano, "He can take care of himself."

* * *

"Sorry, sorry, I late!" said Momo. As always with the attention in the room turned to her as she stumbled through the door. Her hair was messy with tangles and her forehead shined with sweat. Her pink jacket peeked out from inside a bright neon green gym bag.

"Practice. Tryouts. Ran. Late." Momo panted. She dropped the bag on the floor and collapsed on one of the ripped grey leather couches next to her brother.

"Just breathe Momo." he said and patted her on the forehead.

"Yeah. . . Yeah I will."

"So how did tryouts go, Kisaragi?" asked Kano.

"Fine." she breathed and closed her eyes. "I think I have a shot, but I don't know."

"I'm sure you'll get a position on the squad." said Ayano encouragingly. "I mean we've all seen you practice, and you're really good."

Momo's face twisted into a kind of pained expression as she thought of the practice. "Yeah I know you have."

No one could really have stopped themselves from laughing, so everyone did burst out laughing. "It's not funny!" protested Momo as her face became red with anger and embarrassment. "You guys are mean." Momo pouted when they had all had their fill of laughter.

"Oh, you know we love you Oba-san." laughed Hibiya and Momo shot him a glare.

"Oh yeah Hibiya, I heard you hit a girl with a door today." Momo smirked. Immediately Hibiya stopped laughing.

"I-it was a accident!" he protested.

"Sure it was, or were you just trying to be the least bit subtle while hitting on her. That's really pathetic."

"Shut up you stupid cow! You always have to stick your big momos where they don't belong!" Hibiya said getting in Momo's face.

Momo pushed him back, but stood up, "Just who the hell-!"

"Oi, ENOUGH!" Both of them turned to see Kido glaring at them. "That's enough from both of you."

"Fine." Momo grumbled and sat back on the couch and pouted.

"At least Kido's authoritive voice comes in handy sometimes." mused Kano.

"Oh!" Momo exclaimed, "Did any of you write down the Geometry homework? I forgot to." she said.

"No…"

**Hope you liked it. Should be updating in a week. There's the review button. . . I dare you to click it (=^^=)**


	2. The 2nd day

**A/N: Okay so I didn't really explain this for people who have no idea why there are some people in here with Western names. Well those people are OCs based off of me and two of my friends, and they are all transfer students from America. They won't be around the entire time in the story, but are for big part of it. I thought it would be good to have a few other characters no one really knows anything about and that it would kinda push the story on a little bit more. Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter. This chapter is shorter than the last one and depending on what is happening on that day the size of the chapters will vary, but hopefully no less than a thousand words at the shortest. Okay well enjoy~**

**~The 2****nd**** day~**

"Um you're Mary, right?" Mary looked up from her book to see a brown haired girl with glasses and a dark haired boy behind her. "U-um yeah."

"See, I told that was her. You just never listen to me." said the boy.

The girl rolled her eyes, but smiled, "Yeah, yeah, yeah whatever."

Mary was kind of confused. These two students acted like they knew her, but she was pretty sure she didn't know them. "Are you two the transfer students from America?" she asked

"Oh yeah we are." said the girl, "I'm Hannah."

"And I'm Javier." said the boy.

"Hey is this class only us three or are there more?" asked Hannah.

"No, there are more students. My friends Takane and Haruka are in this class. And also my friend- boyfriend, Seto is a T.A here."

"Ah that's too bad. I was hoping it would just be us three." said Javier.

"Wait, you have a boyfriend?" asked Hannah, "That's cool!"

"T-thanks," said Mary nervously.

"So Mary how do you know Ayano?" asked Javier.

"Um we've been friends for a long time. Ever since I met Seto and he introduced me to her, since she's practically his sister. He was playing with his dog Enishi when my mother and I were walking by, and I stopped to pet it. He, Ayano, Kano, and Kido were all outside and I met all of them, yeah."

"Oh so you know Kano and Kido too."

"Y-yeah."

"Do you know where Kido got her hoodie?" Hannah blurted out.

Mary blinked, "Um I think Ayano made it for Kido when they were little."

"Oh, dang it, I was hoping she'd bought it somewhere." Hannah said disappointedly.

"It's okay," Javier said and patted her back, "Maybe we can ask Ayano to make you one too."

"No, they sound like they were special, I don't want to bother her about it." said Hannah.

Just then the door opened, "Where do we put her?" asked Seto. Both Seto and Haruka were carrying a passed out Takane between them by the shoulders.

"Just help me set her at her desk, " said Haruka.

Mary, Hannah, Javier crowded over where Haruka and Seto were setting the girl down at her desk. Her head fell backwards and hit the back of the chair, but she remained unconscious.

"Sorry Takane." Haruka apologized even though she couldn't hear him.

"Don't you think you should take her to the nurses office or home maybe?" asked Hannah.

"No," said Haruka, "She'll just say we were all overreacting, and that she's fine. It's best just to leave her here.

"What happened to her anyway?" asked Javier.

"She has a illness," explained Seto, "it sometimes causes her to faint at random moments. She's usually pretty crabby when she wakes up, so be careful."

"And you two are. . .?"

"Oh, I'm Seto. And that's Haruka."

"Hi," Haruka said.

"Hi, I'm Hannah. And that's Javier." Javier waved 'Hi'.

"Aren't you two transfer students?" asked Seto.

"Mm-hmm."

"That's cool,"

Just then Takane moaned and lifted her head up from the desk.

"What the hell's with the welcoming committee?" she asked.

"Takane are you alright?" asked Haruka.

"I'm fine, but my head hurts like hell." she said and rubbed her temples.

"Do you need some water?" asked Javier.

"I already _said_ I'm fine," Takane growled.

Seto shot Javier a look saying, _Told you so, _but Javier just shrugged.

"Oi, Seto," Takane called, "Is he here today?"

"I. . .I think so Takane." Takane let out a stream of mumbled curses before banging her head down hard on the desk.

"Takane! Don't do that, your head," Haruka warned.

"I don't really care anymore, Kokonose." Takane said against the desk.

"What's wrong with her?" Hannah asked.

"She really hates the teacher." said Mary.

"How come?"

"You most likely wouldn't encounter such a poor example of an adult other than him." grumbled Takane, "If you ask me, him being a teacher just makes me worry even more about where this country is headed." Takane picked her head up to just glare menacingly at the teacher's desk in front of them

"You really shouldn't say such things about Ayano's father." Seto said.

"Ayano's _father_ is our homeroom teacher?" Javier asked questioningly.

"Yeah and the science teacher for all classes." said Seto.

Accompanied with a flat voice, the door burst open, and there stood the homeroom teacher, "Good Morning students."

Takane's head banging on the table again echoed through the now silent class. Tateyama-sensei sat down in the slightly tall, metal folding chair at his desk and opened the attendance book he'd carried in with him. He looked at all the students staring back at him in their little crowd around Takane's desk.

"Hmm? Are you going to take your seats?"

"Oh right, right. . ." they all mumbled. Everyone scrambled frantically to as desk nearest them until all sat at attention in a seat.

"Alright so. . . The attendance. . . Takane you're still here?" asked Tateyama-sensei.

"Not like I want to be." stated Takane bluntly.

"Still a ray of sunshine I see." he chuckled and Takane shot a vicious glare at him in response, but kept her mouth shut.

He said ignoring the glare, "I see you and Haruka are still together."

"Hello, Tateyama-sensei." Haruka said and smiled.

"Please stop saying those kinds of things on a regular basis!" groaned Takane.

"Ah~ So about today's homeroom … Uh, what was it again? Err, I think I took down a memo, or maybe not ….." Tateyama sensei shuffled through the piles of papers on his desk.

"Just get on with it already!"

"Uh~ Wait, wait, err … Oh! Right," the teacher cleared his throat, "We have received three new students that has transferred from another country."

Javier raised his hand, "Um there's actually only two of us," he said gesturing to him and Hannah, "Jalin wasn't feeling well so he stayed at the house, today."

"Oh well, come and introduce yourself to the class."

This time Hannah raised, "Is it okay if I stay in my desk?"

"If you would like."

* * *

"Ayano, I'm sorry. You're one of my friends and everything, but. . . I really hate your father."

"But he's not that bad Takane," insisted Ayano.

Takane pushed her half empty bottle Calpico away from her. "Try thinking of it from my perspective. You're his daughter, you were brainwashed into loving him unconditionally because he's your dad! But I, Enomoto Takane, have had him for only four years now and found he makes all my negative feelings increase. Especially the way he sometimes spins his red pen around and it makes him look like a lazy elementary Schooler rather than a 'hard working' teacher."

"I'm sorry." Ayano whispered.

"There's no need for you to apologize." said Takane.

"I don't see why it's such a big deal. Everything makes you irritated." said Shintaro.

Takane glared at him "Not everything, but you Kisaragi are high on my list."

"Whatever." the boy said.

"Hey Ayano! Can I sit here?" Ayano looked up at the brown haired girl.

"Yeah sure Hannah," Ayano said and scooted over and the other girl sat down. "Why aren't you over there with Javier?"

"Well he's over there taking to Kano and. . . I think Hibiya? Well anyway they're all talking about Pokemon and making plans to go to the Pokemon Center down in Tokyo," Hannah said, "I had no idea what they were talking about, so I decided to leave."

"Oh no please tell me I don't have to deal with Pokemon here too." Kido slid in on the other side of Hannah. "I already came over here to escape from them, don't tell you're talking about it too."

"No I was actually talking about them." said Hannah.

"Hey I have a question," said Shintaro, "In Pokemon, when the Pokemon Center lady is all like, "Hope to see you soon~", does that mean she wants your Pokemon to get injured?"

"I think it's more of a I-say-that-to-be-polite-and-it's-part-of-my-job thing," suggested Hannah.

"Probably."

* * *

It was the end of the school day and Takane didn't feel like going home yet. She lived practically next-door; there was no hurry really. Making her way through the front school gate, she pulled out her white headphones.

"Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have used Kido's earphones at lunch. Now the sound sounds rather dull," but she was used to it. Takane pulled the phones from her head and examined them in her hands. It was hard to believe she'd had them for about 4 years now; since her grandmother had given them to her the birthday before she went into high school.

At the beginning of the year Takane hadn't had any friends since she was moving in with her grandmother to a new city after her mom had passed away. The headphones had been a welcome home/ happy birthday present. In a way they'd been her first and only friend. . .until she met Haruka.

Takane sat down on a bench outside the perimeter of the school, immersed in her thoughts.

"Hey Takane, is that you?" Takane looked up and saw Javier and Hannah coming out of the gate. She waved her hand lazily in greeting.

"Hey Hannah let's go." said Javier trying to pull Hannah along by her backpack.

"Wait, wait, I want to talk to Takane for a bit." Hannah protested

"Fine, but I'm gonna start back now, okay?"

"Okay," and Javier started to walking towards the corner.

"Okay see ya." After Javier left there was silence for a moment.

"He's kind of annoying." Takane commented, "Reminds me of Kano."

"Yeah," Hannah said, "But he's funny." She plopped down on the bench next to Takane smiling.

"So what did you want?" asked Takane.

"Well. . . I thought it would just be nice to talk."

"Hmm. Figures."

"Are you in a bad mood Takane?" Hannah asked.

Takane let out a indignant huff of air, "I'm just irritated." she said.

"Well you seem to be that way a lot huh?"

_It's not really something you'd understand. _"So what if I am? Why do you need to worry about me?"

"W-well. . . I thought that's what friends do." the girl replied. "I mean we are friends, right Takane?"

"I wouldn't really call us 'friends' since we just met," Takane said, but when she saw Hannah's face fall she quickly added, "But if you want to put it in those terms, I guess we are."

"Then can you tell me why you're always irritated?"

Takane sighed, "You're not gonna let it go are you?" Hannah shook her head. "Alright, I'll explain it." _Since someone actually wants to listen._

"I have a bad habit of staying up late sometimes an-"

Immediately Hannah cut her off, "Why do you stay up late?"

"It's none of your business and will you let me finish!" Takane screamed.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry. . ."

"Anyway, I have a bad habit of staying up late. And then in the morning when the sun pours through the curtains and wakes me up, I get irritated at my own sleepiness and partly myself. Then at school the behavior of some of the students _and _teachers irritates me.

"So, as you have so kindly pointed out, I often look like I'm in a bad mood. Which causes people to ask "Are you in a bad mood?" This then further irritates me more; it's quite a vicious cycle really."

Hannah was quiet and stared at the ground. Takane was concerned that maybe she'd hurt the girls feelings by being too hard with her tone and comments.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it worse." she said.

"Well it's not like I'm in a bad mood everyday." said Takane, "There's no reason for you to feel bad, but I appreciate your concern." _Are these even my own words? _

But Hannah seemed to perk up after her comment. "Y'know Takane, think I'll be able to help you with your mood issues."

"Eh? Ah no, please, you really don't have to."

"Do you like Haruka?" The question was so out of the blue it made Takane nearly fall off the bench.

"Wh— uwaaaah! W-where the hell did that come from!?" Takane's face became red, with anger or embarrassment she couldn't tell.

"Aw so you do!" Hannah grinned.

"N-no I do not!" Takane screamed.

Hannah smiled somewhat evilly. "Then why are you blushing?"

"I. Am. Not. Blushing!"

"Don't worry Takane. I'll get the two of you together if it's the last thing I do. Then you'll have something to distract you from all that irritation." With that the curly haired girl picked her backpack from the ground and started walking off.

"See you tomorrow Takane~"

"No wait. You- Hannah, stop! I don't. . ." but Takane's screams were useless since the girl had already turned the corner and was gone.

* * *

**Y'know even though I just started this story I'm already thinking about making a sequel for it where everyone is on summer break. I don't know. Any way see ya next update.**

**The review buttons right there, click it. . . Why are you still reading? I said click it!. . . Pretty please **


	3. The 15th day

**Okay, so this is one of the shorter chapters out of this story (in the near future there could be more; it depends) and also the beginning of where I make Takane have some of the worst days of her life. But you know what they say: Things always get worse before they get better. Ha ha ha! **

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** ~The 15****th**** Day~**

"Um, Tateyama-sensei, What are those for?" Haruka asked as the teacher as he placed a five gallon water jug and a bright yellow bottle of something called 'HEET' on his desk.

"What? Oh, an experiment." he said.

"But isn't this homeroom, not science," Javier asked.

"Yes, but I want to try it now before my other classes."

"Why? is it not safe?" asked Hannah.

"No, no I should be completely safe. I've just want to try it out first." Tateyama-sensei assured, "Seto, bring those matches and plastic wrap over here."

Seto obediently brought them over and handed them to Tateyama-sensei who began wrapping the plastic wrap around the jug and put the matches in his pocket.

"Yeah, _should_ be safe," grumbled Takane as she watched the scene with a bored expression, twiddling with her headphones around her neck and let out a sigh.

"Takane look~" she turned to look at Haruka. He held up his sketch book that he'd been writing on showing Takane a picture of a small kitten curled up sleeping in the curve of a pair of white headphones. It was just a rough sketch, but the future picture could clearly be seen from the outline.

"Oh, it looks nice." Takane said.

"Really?" he turned the picture back around to look at it again. "I think I made the kitten too fat." he said.

Takane couldn't help but laugh a little. "Why do all artists feel the need to criticize their work?"

"Well since you like it so much, when I'm done you can have it." said Haruka.

Takane heard a soft 'Aw~' come from the desk behind her and immediately reddened. "N-no, that's okay i-it's yours." she said, but didn't look at him.

"Eh? Well if you say so." he said and went back to drawing.

Takane turned around and shot a glare to two behind her. She sort of regretted ever talking to Hannah last week. Ever since then she'd been bugging her about her crush on Haruka (Which she didn't have), and what made it even worse was that she got her best friend, Javier, to join in on making her miserable.

"What?" Hannah asked innocently when she noticed Takane's glare towards her and Javier was trying to keep himself from laughing.

"If you two don't stop I swear-" Takane was cut off by a huge whooshing sound and Mary squealing, "Takane! Your arm!" while pointing at her frantically

And that's when Takane noticed the orangey red flames dancing up the right sleeve of her sweater, eating away the fabric and exposing her bare skin.

"Holy-!" exclaimed Jalin from the back of the room.

"Would you all stop gaping and do something!" Takane screamed. She could feel it now, the pain of the fire burning her flesh. _Just don't panic Takane. The only way to get through this is to stay calm._

That's when Haruka started slapping the flames down with his sketch book. Soon the fire was gone and all that remained was what was left of Takane's sweater sleeve and the red blistering on Takane's skin that stung like hell.

"Someone needs to take her to the hospital." said Javier.

"No-Ow!- no, just take me to the nurses office. It's not that-Ow!- serious." Takane said through clenched teeth.

"Takane you need to take that sweater off, now." said Hannah. Takane started pulling her uninjured arm out of her left sleeve and then her blistered one out of the other half sleeve.

"Takane are you in a lot of pain?" Haruka asked.

"I'll feel a lot better once I get a band-aid on it." Takane said somewhat sarcastically as she finished taking off her sweater. "I'm sorry about your picture though." she said when she saw burnt marks across the drawing.

"It's alright. Like I said, I think I made the kitten too fat." he said.

"Hey we're sorry to break up this love fest you two, but I believe Ms. Enomoto needs medical attention." Tateyama-sensei said.

"Wha- You're the worst!" Takane screamed, "It's all your fault _this _happened in the first place!" she pointed at her arm.

"Yeah Takane lets just go."

"Fine." Takane said and stomped angrily out of the classroom with her fellow students following behind her.

* * *

"Now this may sting a bit dear." The nurse said. She placed Takane's arm under the faucet and let cold water run over her blistered skin. Takane hissed with pain and clenched her teeth as she felt the stinging, but gradually it started to feel soothing.

"Here dry it." the nurse handed Takane a towel and she started drying it while the nurse went to the cabinet to get something. After Takane was done drying herself the nurse pulled out a tube medicine and started rubbing it gently over the burn.

"So how exactly did this happen?" the nurse asked as she bandaged the wound.

"I don't really know. All I do know is that Tateyama-sensei was testing out some freak experiment in our class, there was a big whoosh, and the next thing I knew my arm was on fire."

"Oh." replied the nurse, "Would you like me to call your house to send you home?"

"No, no, that's okay. I think I'll just stay at school." said Takane and looked down at her bandaged arm. "How long will I have to keep this on?"

"Only about two days just to be safe. After that just take pain killers if it hurts you too much. But I don't think it will because it didn't look that serious."

"That still doesn't mean my grandmother won't freak when she sees the bandage."

"Well, Takane, the principle will be notified so I wouldn't worry about anymore 'experiments' being done in class." the nurse giggled slightly. "If you would like you can go to your class now.

"Thank you." said Takane and she left as soon as possible.

At lunch that day Takane went straight up to Ayano and held up her injured arm in her face. "Another reason I hate your father."

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**Why is it that this chapter makes me crack up so much when I read it? It's not even that funny. I don't know. Anyways please review~**


	4. The 17th day

**A/N: So now you're seeing the chapter/idea that started it all. I really have no idea if people in Japan run the mile, but in my fan fiction they do ^^ Anyways it's another short(ish) chapter, so sorry. **

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**~The 17****th**** Day~**

"Do we really have to run a mile every week?" complained Javier.

"Yeah, I barely even survived the last one," Hannah joined in.

"Yeah they take it pretty seriously around here, but after you do one year you don't have to do it again." said Kano, "Most people do it there first year like Hibiya here." he ruffled the boys brown hair.

"Knock it off, Kano." Hibiya pushed him away and started placing his hair back in place while Hiyori giggled a bit next to him.

"Ah, sorry did I embarrass you in front of your girlfriend?" Kano teased.

"Stop, she's not my girlfriend, were just friends." protested Hibiya.

"And she happens to be a _girl_." Kano pointed out. Hibiya let out a frustrated yell and stomped away.

"You really have to get on everyone's nerves don't you?" Kido said.

Kano laughed, but turned back to Javier and Hannah. "Like I was saying, most do take it in their first year, but there are those lazy few, such as me, Seto, and Kido-" Kido elbowed him in the stomach, "-Ouch! Okay sorry. There are those few that decide not to take it their first year."

"So you're doing it this year?" asked Javier.

"Onee-chan said it was a good idea to take it the second year like she did since if you don't, you miss a lot in your junior and senior year." Kano explained.

"But what about Takane and Haruka?" Hannah asked.

"They're from the special class so they don't have to take P.E till their senior year, except for Mary since she was just put there this year."

"Ugh, I really don't want to do this." Hannah groaned.

"Does anyone really?" asked Kido.

Takane stood in her P.E shirt and shorts with her arms crossed over her chest and tapped her foot against the dirt path the mile was supposed to be run on, staring at the imprints of other people's shoes tracked in the dirt.

"Are you ready, Takane?" Haruka asked.

She gave a sigh and lowered her arms from across her chest. "As I'll ever be." she said, "Lets just get this damn thing over with."

It was the first time Takane had ever run the mile, and she was not loving it at all. Last week when everyone else had run the mile, Takane had over slept and so had her grandmother, so she would have been late to class and had just decided to skip school that day.

Now she was facing the hell in it's entirety. The P.E teacher assured her that she didn't have to make the mile in the time given, but as long as she finished four laps around the track by the end of the period she'd maintain her A grade. But Takane wished that he'd never even mentioned anything like that, now she _had _to make the mile in the time given. Okay, she didn't _have _to, but because of her stubbornness and pride she felt the need to because she didn't like to be underestimated.

So now she ran. She ran and as she finished her first lap at 45 seconds her legs felt like jelly and every breath she took felt like she was swallowing sandpaper. But she didn't care. It hurt and her body begged her to stop, but she didn't care. The only thing she did care about was when she saw the world go black.

* * *

"Takane!" Seto, who'd been right behind Takane while she ran watched her collapse to the ground and was by her side in an instant. "Takane! Takane! Wake up!"

"What happened?" Haruka jogged over and knelt down with Seto beside Takane. Haruka started shaking Takane's arms, "Takane can you hear me?"

"Have to. . . finish. . . mile." was all Takane said and then she went completely limp.

"Alright, I have an idea." said Haruka.

"What? An idea?" asked Seto.

"Seto, put her on my back."

"What!? But Haruka you can't carry her."

"Yes I can." the boy insisted.

"But. . . but. . ."

"C'mon Seto, she really wants to finish it, pleeeeeaaaasse" Haruka pleaded.

Seto sighed, "Alright." He started to pick up the unconscious Takane. He slung the girl over Haruka's back.

"Wow, she's heavier than she looks." Haruka said. He held onto her legs and her arms hung limply around his shoulders.

"Do you really think you can do this?" asked Seto.

"I am almost completely positive."

* * *

Takane probably would have stayed asleep, all cuddled and warm _if _she hadn't noticed that the sheets she was laying in were so stiff and if her last memories weren't of her running the mile up until the world went black. She opened her eyes slightly since they were still heavy with sleep, but still enough to see that she wasn't in the nurse's office or home for that matter. She was in a hospital.

Immediately forgetting her grogginess Takane, sat up in the hospital bed she'd just been sleeping in.

"Hey guys she's awake." Takane spotted Kano sitting in one of the hospital beds. He nudged Kido who'd looked like she'd been asleep awake and Ayano, Javier, and Hannah all lifted their heads up from the magazine they'd been looking at.

"Takane!"

"What happened?" Takane asked, "Why am I in the hospital?"

"You've been passed out for five hours." Kano said and smiled brightly.

"That's not something you should look so enthused about," said Kido.

"Five hours huh?" _Well I guess I have had worse days, _Takane slumped back into her hospital pillow. "I guess this means I didn't make the mile."

"Oh no you made it," said Javier, "Technically."

"What?" Takane sat up again, "No I didn't, I only finished one lap."

"That's not entirely true," said Hannah with a sly smile. Takane felt something foreboding at the look on Hannah's face. "You see Haruka ran the whole thing with you on his back." the girl said.

Takane blinked a little, trying to process the words she'd spoken and their actual meaning until it actually clicked. And it clicked.

"He what!?" Takane could feel her face flush red a bit.

"Yup all the way through, y'know until he collapsed too." Kano added. Now all traces of red were gone on Takane's face and replaced by shock and concern.

"H-he collapsed?" she whispered.

"It was nothing serious." Ayano quickly assured seeing that Takane seemed pretty upset, "His body just kinda shut down from probably over working himself." Ayano stopped seeing her words weren't really helping the other girl.

"But he's fine~" Kano cut in, "He actually left for the bathroom five minutes ago."

"Hey guys you know the water fountains at this hospital are very weird, well either that or they're broken." Haruka came in a dabbed a hand at his wet green sweater.

"Speak of the devil."

"Oh~ Takane you're awake." said Haruka when he noticed her.

Takane had to admit she felt a lot more relieved when she saw Haruka standing there with his usual goofy and extremely bright looking smile.

"Well I think we should all get going." said Ayano, "It's late and now that we know Takane-chan is okay we can go home." she practically shoved everyone else towards the door, smiling like an innocent little angel. Too innocent in Takane's opinion.

"Hey Takane," Javier whispered, "Are you sure you don't like him cause I'm pretty sure he likes you." Behind him Hannah gave a little thumbs up of approval, but Takane just glared at them until they disappeared with the rest of the crowd out the door. Then it was just her and Haruka.

"Are you alright?" Takane asked.

"Eh? Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Haruka teased, but stopped smiling when he saw Takane still looking depressed. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I didn't mean for you to get hurt." Takane said in monotone.

"But Takane, I'm fin-" Haruka started.

"Don't say you're fine!" Takane almost screamed, "We both know that neither of us is _fine." _She looked like she was at the point of crying. "Just. . . don't do stupid things like that again. Don't. . . put yourself in danger just for my sake okay."

Haruka blinked, his face somewhat blank of emotion as he listened to Takane's rant, but when she was done a small smile spread across his lips. He approached Takane till he was standing right beside her and the bed she was sitting on, but she still wouldn't look at him.

"Thank you for caring so much about me, Takane." he said and petted her head softly in affection.

"W-why are you petting he so naturally!?" Takane pushed his away a bit too hard and Haruka fell on the floor. "Oh my god, I'm sorry Haruka. Are you okay?"

"It's fine," he said, "I'm fine."

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**Well, I'd like a review (just one maybe?), but I understand if you have more important things to do with your time. . .**


	5. The 24th day

**Hello my fellow human beings~ What's sup? Hmm. Well I must warn you that this author's note will probably be long and somewhat rambly. Okay, so I must tell the people following this that this story is quite long. My guestimate for the chapters is probably around 38 or so, maybe less due to alterations I've had to make, but it will most definitely be more than 30 chapters of that I'm sure. If I finish it as planned. You ask why so long? Because I have to cover an entire year of high school, including vacation time( thought that excludes summer). Yup. . .**

**Also, in response to a review I got, I will be giving more time to the other characters. It's just as of now I've had to focus on Takane and Haruka, and I also don't do every single day of the year or else this would be **_**really**_** long. Also it is very difficult to write for like nine characters, and things like that. But, hey, who doesn't love a challenge? Anyway, this chapter, and like the next three after that will focus mainly on Ayano and Shintaro (And somewhat Momo). Then after it will focus mainly on Seto and Mary (Though I am still battling over those chapters *bites lip*), so. . . Yeah!**

**But thanks to everyone who reads, supports, and continues to follow it. I just really love you guys. Read on~**

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** ~The 24****th**** day~**

_October 2__nd_

_ It's been a few weeks since I started writing and I have to say, I don't think it's quite working. Online it said that if you write your feelings down on paper they will be somewhat suppressed and bearable, but. . . I think the internet lied. I've been writing the same thing over and over again and my feelings haven't become anymore bearable since I started. Maybe I should just leave the computers to Shintaro. _

_ My life feels kind of like a cliché romance novel. Maybe I should take the novels advice and just admit my feelings to him like the girl in the book usually does in the end. There is only one problem: I'm too shy. It doesn't seem like a big problem, and maybe it's not, but to me it feels like it. I could probably get by being close to him and maybe holding his hand if I pretend it's all a joke. Even so it won't be the same because I want him to hold my hand back too. _

_ There's also the uncertainty of if he will like me back at all. Will he laugh in my face? I don't think he's that kind of person really, but there is no telling when it comes to confessions. I don't know, I think maybe I'd rather live my in solitude in the library than face the embarrassment of being rejected by him. Maybe it would be best if I'd never fallen in love with Kisaragi Shintaro._

Ayano removed the pencil from her diary pages and lifted it up to chew on the erasure end of it. She read the words in her neat print over and over again. Ayano felt her face heat up as she kept reading; it made her embarrassed to know that she wrote those embarrassing things. The internet really had lie.

She leaned back in the corner of the library, her back facing where two bookshelf's met in the fiction section. Ayano usually didn't read that much. Sometimes she read Kido's books for light enjoyment, but mainly she was here for the quiet and where she could be alone with her thoughts. Ayano let out an agitated sigh before closing the little red journal hurriedly so she didn't have to see those horrible words anymore. She was about to the shove the journal in her book bag when something hit her on the head from above, multiple times.

"Ouch!" Ayano cried and rubbed the sore spot on her head, realizing in full the pain of hard cover books.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't mean- Ayano?" Ayano looked up to see Shintaro's head sticking out from a space on the other side of the bookcase, a bewildered look on his face.

"Oh Shintaro-kun~" Ayano greeted him cheerfully, trying to ignore the slight ringing in her ears. Shintaro pulled his head back in from the bookcase and walked around it to the other side where Ayano still sat and kneeled down next to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

"Oh yeah I'm perfectly fine." Ayano assured smiling her usual bright smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't know the bookshelf was so short." Shintaro explained and rubbed the back of his head casually.

"It's alright Shintaro. I know you didn't mean it." Ayano started picking up the books that had fallen on her head, which was about six or seven. She then stood from her cowering spot to place them back where they belonged on the wooden bookshelf above her.

"Here let me do it." said Shintaro and he took the thick volumes out of Ayano's arms and started placing them instead.

"Thank you." she said somewhat shyly.

"So were you here for a book?" Shintaro asked.

"Wha-No, I was just. . . Here," she said, " But I'm leaving now."

"Oh. Is it alright if I walk with you?" Ayano blushed slightly pink at the suggestion, but nodded her head yes. After her accident and in her daze she hadn't even noticed her journal was missing.

* * *

"Where am I? Where are you?. . . I told you I had to go to the library. . . I will update it. . . I don't know. . . I'll think of something okay. . . Okay bye." Momo flipped her hot pink phone shut, ending the call. "Geez, why doesn't anyone listen to me?" she mumbled to herself. Looking at the phone in her hand she clicked the button on the side to put the device on silent as she entered the library. "Don't want the librarian biting my head off do I?"

When Momo came in she went straight a bookshelf that had. . .well books. "Okay he said, 'Find something practical to read', so by definition I'm assuming that means something long and boring." Momo sighed and ran her fingers along the multicolored spines of the books she was facing on the bookshelf.

"Maybe if he sees me reading something really big he'll think I'm actually taking this seriously." So Momo started looking for the biggest book she could find.

"This one looks pretty big." she said to herself and pulled down an abnormally large, blue paperback volume. Momo opened the book to find the smallest print she'd ever seen in her life. She then decided it was too big and started pushing it back on the shelf next to a much smaller book.

"Hmm? What's that?" She pulled down the small little journal from the shelf. Curious, Momo opened the small little booklet and began flipping through the pages. Most of them were blank, and the ones that were written on were brief and no longer than a page. The person had nice hand writing though. At first her eyes just skimmed over the words, not paying that much attention to anything, until. . . Her eyes widened as she took in the full extent of the markings of the dinky little journal.

"Oh my gosh. . . Someone actually likes Onii-chan?!"

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Momo paced back and forth in her bright pink, wallpapered room, every once in a while throwing a glance to her multicolored bedspread where the little leather bound journal laid. It seemed so innocent on the outside, but man it's size didn't even account for what lay inside.

"Okay, what do I do?" Momo asked herself. She had to talk this out; it was always easier to work things out when she talked them out to herself.

"Should I tell him? No, he'll probably screw it up some how if I get him involved." Momo tapped her chin, "Plus I don't even know who this girl is. Yes I'm 99.9% sure it's a girl. She could be. . . We'll not to be harsh, but put bluntly: ugly. And I can't do that to him." Momo paced some more. Now she wished that this accursed book had never fallen into her hands. She didn't know what to do with it, and yet she didn't want to put it back. She couldn't put it back.

Suddenly the feeling of a vibration in her pocket and the perky sound of her message tone went off interrupting her conflicting episode. Momo fished a hand into her pocket. Finding her phone she flipped the it open.

**New message: 7:23, Today**

**From: Rinny**

**Hey did you think of something? You haven't updated your blog in a while, please, think of something! DX**

Momo rolled her eyes at the screen. She'd already told Rin on the phone that she'd been thinking about it. Like she was supposed to know what to write about next. Barely anyone looked at it anyway so why even bother with it. Maybe all this preppy stuff wasn't really for her.

Then it hit her, or rather her eyes landed on it. Why hadn't she thought of this before? She could post the journal on her blog! That way she could get other people looking at it (no matter how few there were)and maybe the mystery girl could be found or would reveal herself. It was perfect.

"I'm a genius!" Momo praised herself and smiled happily. She sat down in her little swivel chair at her desk humming some perky tune she couldn't recall the name of in her mental victory. She pulled out her cotton candy blue laptop and flipped it open. She opened up to her favorites bar and clicked on the one and only thing added on it opening to her blog's homepage.

"Okay," she said, "Lets get started with day one."

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**I'm not a big fan of this chapter really, and honestly I hate how I write romance. But room for improvement, room for improvement. See ya next chapter.**

**P.S: If you haven't listened to a song called iNSaNiTY by Miki and Kaito or Dialing Paranoia by IA, you should d-(^w^)-b**


	6. The 27th day

** Okay, not a big fan of this chapter. Pretty much had to rewrite the entire first thing of it today while suffering from writers block, Ugh. At least this chapter was longer than it was the first time, so there's a plus. Anyway enjoy this chapter. . .**

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**~The 27****th**** day~**

"Ugh, where could it have gone!" Ayano cried in her distress. She dumped out the contents of her back pack onto her desk and began frantically searching through the items. Everyone had already left for the day and the class room was pretty much empty, but Ayano had stayed behind like she did sometimes to either finish up work in class or write something down she'd forgotten about earlier. Today she'd decided to use this time to write something down quickly in her journal. There was only one problem: She couldn't find her journal.

How could she not have noticed? She didn't even think of using it the entire weekend since she was so busy. Who knows what could have happened to it. What if someone read it? Ayano shook her head to clear the unpleasant thoughts away, but it wasn't helping her increasing anxiety.

Ayano had shifted through everything in her backpack _twice, _but the little leather bound devil was nowhere to be found. She stuffed everything back in the bag before slumping defeatedly in her desk chair and banging her head on the table.

"Is everything alright Ms. Tateyama?"

Ayano didn't even look up to face her teacher as she was in such despair. "Not really," she said, "I lost something really, really, _really_ important and I've looked everywhere to find it, but I can't."

"Have you tried retracing your steps?"

Ayano perked up. "What?"

"Retracing your steps. Going to where you remember having it last and then continuing from there." her teacher said.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Ayano exclaimed nearly jumping out of her seat. Hope fluttered wildly in her heart as she grabbed her book bag from it's place on the floor. "Thanks~" she called over her shoulder to her teacher before making her way hurriedly out the door and towards the library

~0~

_ Okay now, think Ayano, where were you?_

Ayano passed row after row of books, looking specifically for the little nook she'd been sitting in a few days ago. She knew it was somewhere in the fiction section, but there were like ten rows of that. Thankfully it wasn't as hard as she thought since she recognized some of the books on the shelf that were here the day she was curled up in the corner.

"Okay so what did I do next?" Ayano tapped her chin thoughtfully. Of course the book wasn't hidden in plain site, like on the floor. So where else could it be?

"I was here writing, then I stopped to put it away and then. . . Shintaro hit me with a book."

_ Well okay he didn't _hit _me, _Ayano mentally corrected herself, _but he accidentally dropped them on me. And I dropped my journal._

Ayano turned to look at the books in front of her laying peaceably on their shelves, and that's when she remembered putting the back. She looked through the books on the shelf, tackling every cover and every small looking novel, but the journal was no where to be found.

Ayano felt like crying. And again a terrible thought pushed it's way into her mind. If it wasn't here then could someone else have taken it? Ayano's face reddened in embarrassment at the mere thought of someone reading her journal, all those embarrassing things she wrote. What if Shintaro found out? She groaned as she realized how cliché this was. It was like her life had turned into one of those bad romance novels. That's when she really did start crying. Hot, frustrated tears started streaming down her face as she tried o choke back her sobs.

"Come on. . . Get a hold of yourself. . ." She said through clenched teeth. Slowly her tears did dry up, leaving her eyes red rimmed and sticky. Maybe she was just over reacting. I mean, what were the chances of someone actually finding it, really? Probably the most anyone would do was turn it into the librarian and then move on with their lives. _Wait the librarian! That was it!_

"Excuse me," Ayano said. She'd recovered from her previous panic attack and was now smiling cheerfully at the librarian behind the little counter top desk thing. "I would just like to know if anyone turned in a journal here. I'm missing one and I believe I left it here."

"Um hang on," the librarian said as they shifted through some papers on their desk. Turning back to Ayano they shook there head. "I'm sorry, we didn't get anything like that at all."

Ayano felt her heart sink, but she plastered on her bravest smile and thanked them before turning away. Well it just seemed like this had been a total waste of her time. Ayano would've liked nothing more to do than just curl up in her bed and sleep. Wonderful, beautiful, blissful sleep.

"I know, it doesn't really seem right that she'd do that. Maybe this girl doesn't want to be found."

"Yeah I agree. Why would Kisaragi-chan do something like that?"

Ayano stopped in her tracks and looked over at two girls huddled over a computer screen with their backs to her. She might have just gone ignoring the two except for the mention of Momo's name caught her attention. Were they talking about her?

"Excuse me," Ayano approached the two girls, "What are you doing?"

"U-um looking at the internet." one said, "Do you need to use the computer?"

"Oh no, I just. . . I heard you two talking about Kisaragi. Kisaragi Momo. I just wanted to know, you said she did something bad?"

"Well, it's not bad, but um, she posted something on her blog that well. . . She's trying to find this girl who has a crush on her brother. It's really weird."

Ayano blinked wondering if she had heard right. "A girl. . . Who likes her brother?"

"Yeah, she has an older sibling, and apparently some girl wrote some pretty mushy stuff about him."

"Do you mind if I see?" But before either girls could respond Ayano pushed past them to get a good look at the computer's screen. And it was there, all there in little black and white virtual print, on the internet for the world to see and laugh over. Momo had taken her journal, found it some how and was now putting it on the internet. It was the third time that day that Ayano actually felt like crying.

~0~

"Shintaro, go get your sister and tell her dinner's ready." Shintaro's mom called from the kitchen. But Shintaro continued to sit as still as a statue, his silver headphones covering his ears blaring music and tapping his fingers lightly on the keyboard.

When there was no response from her son she walked from the kitchen to peer around the corner at her son. She saw him still staring like a mindless drone at the computer's screen in the exact same position as he'd been in three hours ago when she'd checked on him. Irritated she went over and ripped the headphones off his ears.

"Shintaro Kisaragi, move your butt up from this chair and go get your sister." she commanded. Shintaro jumped at the sound of her mother's voice and flinched back when she whacked him slightly in the head.

"Alright, alright I'm going." the teen said holding his hands up to defend himself from his mother. She gave him another hard stare before walking back to kitchen.

"Man I really wish she hadn't moved my computer out here." Shintaro grumbled to himself. He sighed and grabbed his half empty soda can and headed towards Momo's room.

Shintaro tapped gently on his sister's door. When there was no answer he opened the door a bit to peek inside

"Momo," he called from outside the room, "Mom says dinner's ready." He opened the door fully, only to realize that no one was there.

Shintaro glanced around the room and took another sip of his soda. He couldn't really remember the last time he'd been in her room. He'd felt kind of bad that they'd grown apart a bit since from when they were younger. She'd become 'popular' since she'd entered her first year of high school, and he'd just been the good student always getting straight As. Their mom assured them though, that they weren't that different and, for siblings, very much alike. Shintaro couldn't really see it.

As he continued to wait and look around Momo's room he noticed her laptop was still on. He couldn't help but look at the screen, after all it was in human nature to snoop, and Shintaro was no different. Plus they were siblings so it was normal.

The screen was opened to some text document. Apparently Momo had been writing something. Shintaro sat down in the chair in front of the desk. He then glanced quickly to the door to make sure no one was there before he started reading.

_ Today was fine I guess, but I still can't admit my feelings for him. I was unsure of my feelings at first, but then I smiled at him earlier this morning and he smiled back at me genuinely. He usually seems so distant and grumpy in the morning, so I wasn't really expecting that. Then he said "Hi" and I swear my heart did a little somersault._

(Shintaro couldn't really tell what he was reading. Did Momo have a crush on some guy? He had to admit he had mixed feelings about that.)

_ I kind of feel like it will never happen. I'm no more than a sister to him._

(_Wait, what?_)

_ He doesn't seem the type for that kind of thing anyway. I feel that for now, me loving Kisaragi Shintaro should remain a secret._

Shintaro sat back in the swivel chair. His hands were shaking slightly and small droplets of sweat were forming on his forehead. This was not happening, there was no way Momo-

"What are you doing?" a cold voice hissed practically right next to Shintaro's ear. He jumped up from the chair to face Momo who was giving him a deadly glare.

"Nothing! I-I was. . ." Shintaro stumbled over his words.

"Hmph. Well then get out of my room then, pervert." she said.

"I- wait how am I a pervert?" he demanded.

"I don't know, you just are."

"Forget it." Shintaro said and stomped out of the room. But he stopped when he remembered what he just read.

"Um Momo, do you have anything you want to tell me?" Shintaro asked turning back to his sister, "Anything at all, because I will listen."

"Eh? No, I don't think so." Momo said taken off guard by her brother's now serious tone.

He gulped, _Please don't make me ask her, _he begged silently. "Y-you're sure?"

"Yes, positive," she said, "Now if you-"

"Momo I read the computer screen!" Shintaro blurted.

Momo blinked, but then sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry," she said, "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to take any chances on it ending badly, so I didn't." She looked back up at him. "Are you mad I didn't tell you?" she asked.

"No," said Shintaro, "But we should really tell mom about this." Oh god this conversation was getting too awkward for him.

"What? Why?" Momo asked confused.

"Because this is serious, don't you get that!?"

"It's just one girl Onii-chan, how's that serious?"

"It is when that girl is you."

"Me!?" Momo pointed at herself, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you writing on there that you have a crush on me." Shintaro pointed an accusing finger to the laptop.

Momo's face turned into a grimace. "You really are disgusting, Onii-chan." she said, "Do you really think I'd actually do something like that?"

"I-I don't know." Shintaro stuttered.

Momo reached up above to the shelves above her desk and grabbed a small leather bound journal from the top one.

"This," Momo tossed Shintaro the book, "is where those words came from."

Shintaro examined the small booklet and turned some of the pages finding only the first few written in.

"Do you know who wrote this?" he asked.

"Of course I don't, dummy. If I had I probably would've told you." she said it like it was the most obvious thin in the world.

"Well _where _did you find it then?"

"In the library, on a shelf for all the world to see."

"And you have no idea who wrote this." asked Shintaro.

"Nope, well I have _ideas _on who it could be, but I'm not 100% sure."

"Oh, well wha-"

"Shintaro! Momo! Your food it going to get cold if you two don't come eat right now." their mother called.

"We'll talk about this later."

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**Kagerou Days manga making me cry T-T but review. . . **


	7. The 28th day

** So i'm updating again. Yay for me! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it kinda wraps up the main Shinatro Ayano thing. I kinda am dreading the next chapters, because I think I made them too sad. Oh well. Enjoy the chapter~**

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**~The 28****th**** day~**

Ayano tapped nervously on her desk. Her teeth were chattering nervously and she felt her whole body was trembling.

_ I just know he knows. All those things I wrote. He read them, I know it. How could Momo do that!?_

Warm sunlight streamed in through the classroom windows, but Ayano was too preoccupied to acknowledge it. Instead she thought of possible ways to keep away from Shintaro. 1) She could pretend to be sick. That was good, but she wasn't very good at acting, or lying. That wouldn't work. 2) She could skip her class. No that wouldn't work either, the teacher had already seen her. She gave up and peered out the window and down at the yard below from the second story.

_ Maybe I could jump out the window and just end my existence._

Ayano blinked and shook her head in surprise. Where had that come from? Sure, she would be embarrassed, but there was no reason for her to _kill_ herself over that. Maybe it was just one of those random thoughts that come to you from time to time. She placed her chin in her hand and let out a pent up breath slowly and noisily. That's when the bell rang. And her heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the sound.

_He's coming, _she thought,_ what do I do? He's coming!_

Her other classmates began filing into the classroom and taking their seats. Ayano sat up rigidly, hands folded in her lap, and staring straight down at her desk. Out of the corner of her eye, though, she watched the door for Shintaro. When the tardy bell she was slightly puzzled. Was Shintaro not coming? That would have been an enormous relief.

All too soon her hopes were dashed as the door opened and a breathless Shintaro came in. "Sorry. I'm. late." he panted and quickly rushed to sit down at his desk. The teacher mumbled something like "Don't do it again" and turned back to writing on the board.

Ayano held her breathe, waiting for Shintaro to say something to her. But time passed by and he didn't say anything or even acknowledge her existence. At his quietness, she sneaked a glance at him. He was bent down over his desk, pencil was propped upright on his paper, but it didn't move. She leaned a little closer nearly out of her desk to see. Covered by his arm she could see a small little journal opened to only a few pages, reading the neat print on the page. Ayano's heart stopped and dropped into her stomach.

_He's reading it NOW!?_

Ayano began to feel dizzy and before she knew it had leaned out so far that she fell right out of her desk.

"Ayano!" Shintaro exclaimed. He closed the journal and looked at the ground where Ayano hurriedly picked herself up.

"Yes. Yes. I'm okay. Not hurt. Sorry, I'm just a little distracted today." she continued to laugh and ramble on nervously as she sat back in her desk. Little by little the heads that had turned back to her now focused their attention back on the board.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Shintaro asked and placed a hand on her wrist. Regrettably Ayano turned to face him only seeing his look of concern as an intense stare. She reddened with embarrassment at his hand on her wrist and pulled it away rather quickly.

"I'm fine," she tried to disguise her voice with fake cheeriness, but even to her it sounded hollow and shaky. Shintaro's brow furrowed in puzzlement showing his hesitation on the subject, but wordlessly he turned back to his desk.

Ayano reached down into her bag and pulled out a red scarf. Her mother had made it for her for her birthday after she first entered high school. She wrapped the muffler around her neck and pulled it up to her nose, breathing in the comforting scent.

* * *

"Don't let him notice. Oh please don't let him notice." Ayano didn't know who she was talking to. Maybe she was just making some mental wish and then praying it would come true.

"Hey Ayano." Ayano mentally cursed when she heard Shintaro's voice call out from down the hall.

_Maybe if I walk faster I can avoid him,_ she thought.

Ayano began to start speed walking down the hallway. She could have run, but it was against school rules to run in the schools hallways, and she didn't want to get in trouble for that now. Despite her efforts to get away from him, Shintaro still ended up catching up to her.

"Hey Ayano, I have to- Why are you wearing a scarf?" he asked. Ayano had completely forgotten she was still wearing the garment around her neck. She yanked it from covering her face, but still kept it around her neck.

"Oh I-I was cold in glass- I mean class" she lied. This conversation was already not going well.

"Okay well, Ayano I have to tell you something." Shintaro said. Ayano's heart started thumping faster and blood pounded in her ears. His hand reached inside the bag and started pulling out the journal. "I know-"

"It was me!" Ayano blurted out at the last second. She couldn't take it anymore. Why not just get it over with?

Shintaro blinked in surprise at her sudden exclamation, "What?"

"It was me okay. _I'm_ the one that wrote the things in the journal. _I'm_ the one who was stupid enough to place it on the bookshelf. That's where your sister found it, put it on the internet, and told you about it. I just didn't know. . . What else to do." Ayano nearly sobbed; she sounded so pathetic. Then she felt something placed in her hands, and looked down to see her ugly little journal; the cause of this whole mess.

"I'm not disappointed." Shintaro said when she looked up at him. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled, "I'm actually glad it was someone I know."

"Yeah well. . ." Ayano clutched the book to her chest and turned to walk away, "See you later."

"Wait," he grabbed her shoulder to stop her from leaving. "Why didn't you just tell me instead of writing it all down?" he asked.

"I was. . . Well I was scared." she said, "I didn't know how you'd react or. . . What. I'm just a stupid, clumsy, and. . . Not very attractive girl."

"I don't think you're stupid, or clumsy, or. . ." he stopped, trying to find the right word. "Or ugly. We're friends."

In romantic movies or books most girls always thought the word 'friend' was the most horrible thing a guy they liked could ever call them, but for Ayano it filled her with more happiness than ever before.

She beamed, "I think that's what I was most afraid of."

Shintaro looked confused, "Huh?"

"I didn't really care if you loved me back or not, okay maybe I kind of did. But I didn't want us to not be friends anymore just because of how I felt."

"You mean you don't love me?"

"No, no, it's not that," Ayano said frantically, "I'm saying that I'm okay if you don't love me the same way, but I still love you. As long as you know and we can still be friends." Ayano started to feel the tips of her ears grow hot. She shook her head though trying to clear the embarrassment out of her head.

"So, do you love me?" Ayano asked playfully.

Shintaro's face turned slightly red. "I don't know. Maybe." he muttered.

Ayano linked arms with him, feeling quite happy. "Let me know when you figure it out okay?" she smiled. Shintaro just nodded his head.

* * *

"What?!" came Momo's astonished gasp that nearly filled the whole cafeteria, "It was Ayano! This whole time it was Ayano!"

Ayano raised her hand up sheepishly, "Guilty."

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. I didn't mean for it to hurt you like that. I should have know it was you in the first place." Momo apologized.

"Aw it's okay," Ayano assured her, "Everything turned out fine in the end."

"Wait, but seriously," Momo leaned next to Ayano, "What do you see in Onii-chan?"

"Eh?" Ayano was caught off guard by the question and Shintaro shifted uncomfortably in his seat next to her. "Well I don't know. We just were really good friends and then I guess I started developing feelings and. . . Yeah."

"Isn't that how it always is?" said Javier.

"Yup," Hannah chimed in, "Just friends and then it turns into something more." She cast a glance over at Takane who was eating next to Haruka and grinned. Takane ignored the girl's stare and glared down at the table.

"Well just let me know if he mistreats you at all Ayano-chan," said Momo as she cracked her knuckles, "I'll set him straight."

"Um that's okay," said Ayano with a nervous smile, "we're actually not dating."

"What?!" Momo sounded horrified, "How can you not be dating? Shintaro what is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

"What? Why me?" he demanded back and his sister glared harder. "Maybe. . . I'm just not ready." he said with his face flushed with embarrassment. Might as well say good bye to manly pride.

"How can you not be ready? You're a man aren't ya?" she persisted.

"Momo it's really okay, I don't mind-"

"Stay out of this Ayano!" said Momo. She then turned back to her brother, "There is finally a girl wanting to go out with you and you just blow her off!"

"I didn't blow her off! Maybe we're just too young for that kind of relationship." he argued.

"Oh don't give me that crap. You both are almost eighteen. So what you just gonna take advantage of her in college?"

"I never said anything like that!"

"Well than why don't you wanna go out with Ayano? What if. . . What if she finds another guy she likes more. What if she starts to like Haruka more than you? What are you gonna do then, huh?"

Takane stopped eating instantly. Haruka, who'd been drawing absent mindedly, looked up from his sketchbook when he heard his name.

"What are they talking about Takane?" he asked.

"How am I supposed to know," the girl said, her fist clenched on the table, "To me they're all a bunch of rambling idiots." She sighed and got up from the table.

"Where are you going?"

"To get some apple juice."

"But I thought you didn't like apple juice." said Haruka.

"Oh well!" said Takane and she stomped away. Both Hannah and Ayano noticed her absence.

"Haruka, where's Takane going?" Hannah asked.

"She said she was going to get some apple juice,"

"I thought she didn't like apple juice," Ayano said.

Haruka shrugged, "That's what I thought too."

"Doesn't surprise me," Hibiya said, "Takane's just lucky she got away. Oba-san always opens her big mouth when it's not needed." Momo glare indignantly at him.

"And you, Hibiya Amamiya," she said and pointed an accusing finger at him, "When are you going to tell Hiyori that you love her hmm?"

"Momo! Leave him alone," Shintaro warned.

"Y'know everyone here has a perfect significant other at this table." Momo lectured, "Even Kano and Kido could end up together." At her words Kano began choking on his food; whether from shock or laughter no one could tell.

"Well, I've lost my appetite." Kido said and, putting her hands in her pockets, got up from the table and started walking away.

"Wait Kido!" Hannah called after the hooded girl and soon followed after.

Seto started patting Kano's back, who was still recovering from the choking fit. "I'm sure that would only work if Kano wanted a girlfriend who would kick him rather than kiss him." he said to Momo.

"At least you two are doing something right," Momo said gesturing to Seto and Mary, "You realized you were meant for each other."

"Isn't it too bad there's no one for you Oba-san." Hibiya said.

Momo's face reddened with anger, "Listen up boy scout I-"

"Okay enough!" Shintaro interrupted, "Momo if I ask Ayano out will you stop patronizing everyone about there love lives?"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, thinking. "Alright." she finally said. Then her pocket started ringing. "Ah I gotta go to extra practice now. Congrats~"

"How do you deal with that?" Hibiya asked when Momo was gone.

Shintaro shook his head that was now rested on the table. "Sometimes I don't even know," he mumbled.

Ayano patted his back comfortingly. "You don't have to go out with me if you don't want to. It's fine," she said.

"No, no. I won't do that to you," he said, "Besides, it'll be kind of nice."

Ayano smiled, "Okay~"

* * *

_Ngh, I'm tired. When I get home I'm going to sleep._

Takane trudged sleepily out the school gate and started walking straight home. Her last few classes had been a daze and there was no reason to stop at the bench, otherwise she might fall asleep on it.

"Hey Takane!" Takane turned, still dazed, to see Ayano running to catch up with her.

"Oh Ayano," she whispered more to herself and stopped so the other girl could catch up.

"Hey~" said Ayano in her usual cheery manner. "Wow it's been awhile since we've walked home like this huh?"

"Yeah it has," Takane agreed, "So what brings you here? Isn't your house near the back of the school?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to check on you." she said.

"Well I'm fine," Takane said, "Just a little tired."

"Oh okay," Ayano said. They continued to walk silently for a bit.

"So how was the apple juice?" Ayano asked, breaking the silence.

"Eh? What? You know I hate apple juice. . ." Takane trailed off seeing Ayano's face fall.

"Yeah I know. So that wasn't why you left the lunch table was it?"

"Oh that." said Takane.

"I'm sorry," Ayano said.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because. . . I don't know. But there's nothing going on with me and Haruka." she said.

Takane scoffed, "Why would I care about that?"

"Takane-"

"Ayano, I've had this conversation with you before. I don't like him like that." To that Ayano giggled. "What?" Takane demanded.

"It's just. . . I _know _Takane. You can't put one over on me."

"Put one what?"

"Alright, never mind." Ayano smiled and waved her off.

"Ayano!" But Ayano just laughed at her distress. "You and those foreigners are the worst." Takane groaned.

"Oh come on Takane, lighten up. I'm only teasing." Ayano continued to laugh.

Takane rolled her eyes, "Yeah uh-huh, sure."

"What?" Ayano asked innocently.

"It's just that I _know _you too Ayano." Then both girls burst out laughing.

"Well I might as well come out and say what I was going to, even if it doesn't apply anymore." said Ayano, "What Momo said about me and Haruka, she was just messing around and you didn't have to take it personally."

"I didn't-"

"I'm just saying," Ayano cut her off, "I know you're not interested. A sly smile spread over the girls face, "But if you were interested-"

"No Ayano, don't even go there." said Takane.

"Okay."

"So," Takane said, trying to change the conversation topic, "What happened with you and Shintaro?"

"Well, to get Momo to stop talking, he asked me out." she said casually, but there was excitement in her voice.

"But doesn't that bother you, though? That he only asked you to shut his sister up?"

"Well I told him he didn't have to after Momo left, so I don't know." the girl shrugged her shoulders casually, "Maybe it'll work out."

Takane smirked, "I still don't know what you see in him though," she said, " He may be book smart, but in everything else he's hopeless."

"You're just mad because he can beat you at videogames," Ayano giggled.

Takane turned to glare at her friend. "That was _one_ time. I beat his ass the other times."

"Yes. Takane the undefeated." They walked a little more in amused silence.

"Y'know I'm thinking about having a slumber party," Ayano said.

"Huh? Why? Isn't that something only elementary schoolers do?" Takane asked.

"Well yes, but we haven't had something in so long. It'll be fun."

"I don't know. Will there be boys at this slumber party?"

"No. Well, I wasn't planning on it, but if you want me to invite-"

"No, no, no. don't even go there." said Takane, "As long as there are no boys and your father won't bother us, I'm in."

"Yay!" Ayano squealed with delight and hugged Takane around her neck.

"Sorry I can't go see your grandmother," Ayano said when they arrived at Takane's house, "I'm already late as it is."

"That's okay," Takane said.

"But tell her I said hi okay?"

"I will."

"Thanks, bye." Ayano called as she quickly headed back down the sidewalk towards her house.

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**I should have been more descriptive, I should have. **

**Seto and Mary next, but I think I made it too depressing and OOC. Anyway review~**


	8. The 31st and 32nd day pt1

**So yeah, i'm updating. sorry it took me so long, I had to rewrite this entire chapter and I procrastinated A LOT on it, and then I made this last minute decision to split it into two parts, only because I thought I was stuffing too much into one chapter, but if you people had seen the original writing, it was so crappy I nearly cried. the next part won't be that long though, so sorry. I hope you guys don't kill me for this chapter cuz I don't like it that much, but who knows~**

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**~The 31st/32nd day pt.1~**

"All done." Mary said as she finished tucking two braided pigtails up and pinning them in place. Hiyori felt the back of her head where the braids were located.

"How does it look?" she asked the other girls at the table.

"Beautiful." Ayano told her with her hair in a similar hairstyle Mary had done also.

"Oooh ooh ooh, me next!" Hannah begged as she and Javier took their places at the table.

"Um okay." Mary said and started combing her fingers through Hannah's long curly brown hair.

"I didn't know you could do things like this Mary." Javier said as he watched her start to braid Hannah's curls.

"My mother taught me how," she replied, "When I was little and still played with dolls, my mom taught me the different hairstyles when we played together."

"Oh, that's cool." Hannah said, humming at the pleasant feeling of her hair being played with.

"How is your mom doing by the way?" Ayano asked. Mary's face fell a bit into a frown, but she quickly recovered it.

"Last I talked to her, she was doing alright. I was able to talk to her on the phone this time, so I take that as a good sign."

"What happened to your mom?" Javier asked.

Mary was silent for a moment and her actions in doing Hannah's hair almost completely stopped. She took in a deep breath before answering. "She's been battling cancer for about two and a half years now. She came over it the first time, but after a year it came back. She's now being treated in a hospital three hours away from here since July."

There was silence at the table and everyone had solemn looks on their faces. Mary now wished that she hadn't said anything because of the sad awkward mood it had created.

"I'm sorry." Javier said.

"Yeah, me too." Hannah said.

"I-it's alright. Please don't feel bad, I'm sorry." Mary quickly said.

"Mary you don't need to say sorry, you didn't do anything." Ayano tried to assure the albino girl.

"Yeah, no need to apologize." Hannah agreed, "So, do you live by yourself, or does your dad live with you?"

"No, my dad has a house near to the hospital, so he's always near to my mother." Mary explained. "Actually, Seto stays with me at my house."

"That's nice," Hannah said, "Oh! Is that why you guys started going out? Aw, you're like a married couple~"

Mary blushed slightly. "N-no that's not- I mean. He was just trying to be a good friend an-" she was stuttering uncontrollably.

"Mary, calm down, she's just kidding." Javier laughed.

"Yeah, I know what you meant." Hannah smiled.

"Oh. . . Okay." Mary said quietly, her face flushing a deeper red in embarrassment.

"That's nice that Seto's doing that for you though." said Javier as he started playing with the water bottle in his hands.

"How are you two doing by the way?" Ayano asked, cutting in, "You guys have everything you need?"

"Um yeah, we're good, very good." Mary said, "We don't really need anything. I went to the store not too long ago, so we're fine."

"Well, I hope your mom gets better and comes home soon."

Mary sighed, "Yeah I hope she does too."

* * *

"Hey Mary, where's Seto?" Kano asked leaning down closer to the smaller girl.

"I don't know," she replied, "But he said he'd be here though." Mary, Kano, and Kido were all waiting near the back of the school, their backs pressing up against the wall waiting till they could all start walking home.

Kido looked up from her Mp3 she was fiddling with taking one of her ear buds out and letting it hang down. "Isn't that him right there?" she said gesturing with her head to the figure running towards them. It was unmistakably Seto.

"Sorry I'm late," he said between pants as he approached the small group waiting for him, "The teacher kept us in later than usual."

"That's alright. We're waiting for Ayano-chan too." Mary said sweetly. Seto smiled at her a patted her head briefly before Kano broke in.

"No doubt she's with Shintaro." Kano said in a sort of sighing way, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Doesn't it bother you guys that our older sister has a boyfriend?" the blonde asked his siblings, "Shouldn't we feel some sort of sibling protectiveness?"

"No, I don't." said Kido bluntly not even bothering to look up from her music, "I think that's more of a big brother impulse rather that a younger one."

"Well, I really don't think it matters. I mean we're still all siblings even if we were adopted." Kano said.

"If you'd already decided that then why did you ask?" Irritation was starting to creep into Kido's voice.

"Oh look there's Onee-chan." Seto cut in loudly trying to keep a full blown argument from erupting out.

Ayano and Shintaro could be seen not very far away. Shintaro had one hand on Ayano's shoulder and the other in his pocket seeming like he was saying something to Ayano. But the girl just shook her head at him clenching a sheet of paper, a dark cloud almost seeming to hover over her countenance.

"What's wrong with Onee-chan?" Kano asked his curiosity immediately perked.

Ayano didn't say anything, so Shintaro answered for her. "She didn't get a very good score on a quiz we took a few days ago." he explained.

"Oh my gosh it was terrible!" Ayano burst out, "I got less than a fifty percent, that's basically a flat out F Shintaro!"

"Hey, hey calm down." Shintaro said when he saw Ayano look like she was about to cry, "It's just a grade."

"That's easy for you to say Mr. Honor roll student." Kano said popping up next to Ayano and wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulder. Shintaro backed away.

"No one was talking to you, idiot." Kido muttered grabbing the back of Kano's shirt and pulling him off their older sister.

"Well, there's always room for improvement." Mary chimed in encouragingly.

"Yeah," Shintaro agreed. He felt that it was _safe_ enough to approach her again and stood a little closer. "I can even help you, so don't worry about it. Plus it's only the beginning of the year. In a few weeks no one will even remember that grade."

"Yeah, okay." Ayano said, feeling better at her friends trying to comfort her. "You wanna walk home with us?" she asked Shintaro gently taking his hand in hers and intertwining their fingers.

"I-I would," Shintaro said squeezing her hand back, "But I have to get Momo from practice."

"That's alright," she said, and let go of his hand, "Bye."

"Bye."

Ayano sighed as she watched him walk away.

"Aw~ That was precious." Kano said teasingly and held his hand dramatically to his chest. Ayano's cheeks reddened a bit.

"Don't worry Onee-chan, I'm sure it will be fine." said Seto.

"Yeah, especially now that you have Shintaro to help you." Kano agreed slyly before Kido hit him in the shoulder.

Ayano smiled. "Thanks guys."

* * *

"We'll this is where we part ways," said Seto. Their small little group split into two at the crosswalk with him and Mary facing Ayano, Kido, and Kano.

"Make sure to visit us sometimes, okay." Ayano said and leaned over to give Seto a good bye hug. "Mom gets worried about you when you don't check in. And Mary, you come too."

"Yeah. Let's go tomorrow." Mary said beaming.

"Alright, bye guys." Ayano said as he and the other two waved and continued down the street, leaving Seto and Mary at the crosswalk.

Seto held out his hand to her. Technically, they were supposed to be 'dating', so Seto had tried to do more boyfriend-y things while he was around her. Holding hands was one of them, though with no one around he really didn't _need_ to, but it was enjoyable. Mary softly placed her hand in his and he intertwined their fingers. Then he continued in leading her across the street.

"Have I ever told you that I love you're house?" Seto asked. As they walked, he gently swung their held hands back and forth.

Mary giggled, "I think you've mentioned it before."

"Well, I'm saying it again. I love you're house." he said, "I just like where it's at, near the edge of that woodsy area, and it looks almost like a little cottage. It's cute."

"Thank you. I think that's what my mother thought when she bought it." Seto's smile faltered a bit as the mention of Mary's mom hung in the air like a cloud.

He was tempted to ask, but Mary seemed to be reading his mind. "I haven't really heard anything new from last time." she mumbled.

Seto felt sympathy for her. He wondered how she did it, managed to come to school and continue smiling everyday while tragedy threatened to strike at any moment. Seto truly admired her for that. He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder, another boyfriend-y thing to do. "I'm sure your mom will be just fine," he said, "And remember, you always have me here." Seto didn't know how, but he built up enough courage to lightly kiss the top of Mary's head. For a fake boyfriend, he was pretty good at this.

Mary's cheeks tinged slightly pink at the action, but it was also comforting. She leaned more into his side, as much as walking would allow, and whispered, "Thanks Seto."

* * *

"Hey Enishi!" Seto greeted his pet fondly from the door way. The black, wolfish looking dog whimpered happily, barely able to contain his barks of joy as he watched Seto and Mary come in through the front door.

Seto had saved him a long time ago back when he was a stray puppy nearly drowned in the gutter. Then, after a lot of crying, begging, chore promising, and with Kano at his side, Seto had finally convinced his family to let him keep the orphaned dog. He'd never really been much in size and had this little stub of a tail, but he was on of the few things Seto brought with him to Mary's house that he new he couldn't live without, and of course Mary loved him.

"Hi boy~" Mary said. Seto closed the door behind them and slipped past Mary as she kneeled down to rub Enishi on his head between his ears. At her touch, the dog leaned up against her enthusiastically, nearly knocking her over. Mary squealed but managed to catch herself.

Seto chuckled at the sight. He grabbed Enishi's water bowl from the ground and proceeding to fill it with water from the sink before placing it back down on the kitchen floor. Enishi left Mary's side as soon as he heard the sound of the bowl being placed on the floor, the wooden floor echoing his paws as they scraped across it in his running eagerness.

Mary got up from the floor. "He's a sweet dog." she said while straightening her uniform skirt and then heading into the kitchen.

"Yup, he's the greatest." Seto agreed with her. Enishi seemed to know they were talking about him and lifted his big brown eyes to them, his stubby tail wagging furiously.

"So, you guys want to take a walk?" he asked. The question was directed mainly at Mary, but Enishi, hearing and understanding the work 'walk' , immediately perked up his ears and whimpered excitedly.

"Actually, I have quite a bit of homework to do." Mary said, "Maybe later?"

Seto nodded his head, his mouth occupied with drinking from a glass at that moment. "And um Seto, can you help me with my math homework?"

He set his glass down on the kitchen counter. "Yeah, I can." he promised.

"Okay one more time." Seto repeated. Helping Mary had been a little more complicated than he had originally thought, but he was still happy to help her. "Y equals 3 times 2 to the power of X minus 1. So if X equals 3 what is the value of Y?"

"Ugh, I don't know." Mary covered her face in frustration and leaned back against the couch, "Math is hard." she stated.

"Hey, hey, calm down." Seto said, "It just takes a little practice, that's all." He reached over to place his hand on her wrist where her hands were still covering her face.

"I don't want to do it." Mary said, her voice slightly muffled by her hands.

"Well, we do have the whole weekend, but it would be best if we finished it now."

Mary let her hands drop into her lap. Her cheeks were puffed out a bit in a pouting manner, but she nodded her head reluctantly. But by the time Seto had gone through and explained all of what she needed to do to solve the equation, he looked over and discovered Mary had fallen asleep.

"M-mary?" Seto reached out in an attempt to wake her, but decided against it at the lost minute. Obviously her heart was not in it if she fell asleep while he was trying to teach her and he didn't want to force her.

Her head was leaning at an odd angle that looked very uncomfortable for Seto's view. He pulled her over gently so that her head was resting against he side with his arm around her. Mary sighed contentedly and snuggled even closer to him. Seto smiled and leaned his head on top of hers

* * *

Seto didn't know how long they'd been sleeping when the phone rang, but judging by the amount of light coming in through the windows, he'd say a couple of hours. The noise itself had woken Mary up, but Seto probably would have kept sleeping if Mary hadn't jolted up next to him.

"Wha-what?" Mary whispered sleepily and rubbed her eyes.

The phone rang again and Seto unwrapped his arm from around her to get up. "I'll get it." he mumbled just as groggily. He started stumbling through the dimming room and picked up the phone on the fifth ring.

"H-hello?" Seto answered, clearing his throat.

On the other end a male voice he didn't recognize answered saying they wanted to talk to Mary. Seto was confused, but then handed the phone to Mary, who was seemingly more awake now.

She took the phone from him frowning slightly in puzzlement before answering, "Hello?" Seto watched as her face went from puzzled to surprised, "Dad?" she said in almost disbelief. Seto was now even more confused. He heard the faint reply on the other end. Then Mary gasped her hand covering her mouth and he could see tears pooling in her wide pink eyes.

"Mary, what's wrong?" he asked instantly concerned. Mary looked briefly at him, but seemed to ignore his question.

Seto watched her for what seemed like hours. He could see that she was trembling as she sat on the couch, the phone grasped firmly in her hand. Sometimes she squeezed her eyes shut as she cried or he could tell she was trying to keep back sobs. It was breaking his heart to see her like that. Finally she answered with a rough "okay" into the phone and hung up.

"Mary-" Seto tried again, but stopped as he saw her dial another number on the phone.

"Hey grandma." she said after lifting the phone back to her ear, "Yeah it's me." her voice was beginning to sound chocked from all the sobs she was holding back. "Dad wants us at the hospital. It's Mom."

"Mary-" Seto wanted to talk to her, but she was still on the phone.

"See you in a bit." she mumbled before hanging up the phone for the second time. Mary stood there for a moment, just staring at the phone in her hands and not looking at Seto. He wanted to talk to her, to comfort her, to tell her it was going to be alright, but he couldn't. By the sound of the conversation on the phone, there didn't seem a whole lot he could do.

"She got worse." He heard Mary whisper. Hearing her made him jump slightly as it had been silent for so long, and her voice sounded rough and broken. "It's too late, there's nothing they can do."

"Mary. . . ." he said her only her name for the third time that day. It was the only word he could seem to force past his lips.

"Seto, could you just go home?" Mary asked and he heard her voice crack; she was only seconds away from breaking down.

Seto was somewhat shocked at her words. He thought that during this time she'd want him here more than ever. "I'm not going to leave you by yourself." he said.

"I'll be leaving soon." she replied, "And I won't be back for a while. There's no reason for you to stay anymore." Her voice cracked at the end and suddenly she burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. Seto sat down on the couch next to her. He wanted to hold her, to wrap his arms around her, but all he managed was to stroke her hair and rub her back in a soothing way.

It only lasted a few minutes, but Seto could see she'd been holding it in and just let her cry. She breathed in shuttering breathes as she tried to calm herself. It broke his heart to see her like this. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks when she looked up a him next to her. "Seto, can you get my suitcase in my room? It's behind the door." she asked unevenly.

Seto nodded and went to go get it, finding it just where she said. Right when he got it there was a short honk of a car from outside. Mary looked toward the door at the sound and then got up to take the luggage from Seto's hand. "Thank you for everything." she managed. Seto couldn't help but think it sounded like a goodbye, a permanent goodbye.

When Mary started to leave he grabbed her hand. "Mary. . . . I'm so sorry."

She didn't say anything at first and Seto probably figured she was crying again except this time silently. Finally she took her hand away and replied, "Go home Seto." She then left through the front door rather quickly. Enishi tried to follow her, but the door ended up shut in his face. He whined and pawed at the door unhappily.

Seto was just frozen there, not sure if this was really happening. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he'd been trying to teach Mary how to solve her equations. He couldn't help hope uselessly that he was still asleep on the couch and that this was just some nightmare he was having. _Why? Why had this happened? _was all he could think.

Then Seto started walking toward the door. There was nothing left to keep him here, so he might as well do what Mary said and go home, however much he didn't want to. Enishi again tried to follow him too, but Seto stopped him.

"Enishi, stay here." he commanded. The dog whimpered and let out a bark of protest as his response. Seto gave him a small smile and patted him on the head. "Stay here in case she comes back." But he knew there was no need.

* * *

**Was it bad? Man, I just make everybody's life so terrible, poor Mary and Seto T-T Just a warning for you guys, there will be probably one more character death in here besides Mary's mom. they aren't like a main character, so don't worry. **

**Oh, have I told you guys that I love you lately. Well I do, I love all you that read this story, review and favorite it, and even the peplewho don't since you still looked at it anyway. Till next time~**


	9. The 31st and 32nd day pt2

**A/N:** **Sorry this chapter is so short, but I might, _might_ post another chapter this week(Y'know after Monday) if I finish it or it might be the next week after that. I don't know whenever I finish, I guess**

* * *

**~ The 31st/32nd day pt.2~**

"Ow. . . . Ow! That hurts!" Ayano instantly pulled back her hands as Kido cried out in pain.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry." she apologized to her sister.

Kido rubbed her head where Ayano had pulled some of her hair rather hard. "Geez, what did you do, tie my hair in knots?" she asked.

"Uh, well. . . . Sort of- no- I mean yes, it just. . . ." Ayano let out a defeated sigh, "Ugh, I can't do anything."

"Y'know, you are so lucky you're my sister. If this were anyone else, I'd strangle them." Kido huffed.

"I know, I know. Sorry." Ayano apologized again.

Kano, who was stretched out on the other couch 'reading' a magazine, tried to contain his snickers as he glanced ever so often at his two sisters struggle with Kido's hair. "It's too bad your worshipper isn't here to see this." he said. Kido rolled her eyes, trying to ignore him.

Ayano continued to try an untangle Kido's hair which was going a lot smoother now. "I think I almost got it." Ayano said happily, but then hit another knot soon after.

"Ow!" Kido exclaimed again and then cursed under her breath. "Why must you practice on me?" she groaned.

"Well, I can't do it on myself, and next to me you have the longest hair." Ayano explained, "Besides, I don't think you would want to see the horror of Shuuya in braids and pigtails, would you?"

Kido snorted in amusement, "God, I think my eyes would lose their virginity."

Kano smirked from his place on the couch. "What virginity?" he teased.

Kido flushed in anger and glared over at him, "Shut up!"

"Alright that's enough you two." Ayaka called firmly from the kitchen, "You still bicker non stop like kindergarteners."

"I _am_ eight years old on the inside." Kano confirmed.

"And it clearly shows." Kido mumbled under her breath. "Ayano, why don't you ever ask mom to be your hair model? She's got long enough hair for it."

Ayano thought about that for a moment. "Hey mom!"

"No." came the immediate response.

"But why?"

"Because I'm making dinner."

"But Tsubomi could do that," Ayano continued to protest. "Please, just let me try one more time." she begged.

"Yes mom, I am quite good at cooking." Kido said, "And I don't know if I can stand anymore braids."

"Oh boy, Kido's cooking?" Kano asked delighted, "Do you take requested?" She just ignored him.

Before Ayaka could even answer the door opened. In the living room Ayano, Kano, and Kido all turned their heads to look in the direction of the front door. Slow footsteps followed before Seto appeared.

"Seto?" Ayano was confused about the sudden appearance of her brother and automatically looked behind him for Mary, but no one was there. And there was something about his countenance that made dread knot up in her stomach.

"Where's Mom?" was all he said. He wouldn't meet any of their eyes. At her being mentioned, Ayaka stepped out from the kitchen and into the living room area.

"Kousuke? What's wrong?" she could tell something was wrong by the look on her son's face. He looked defeated, crushed, and like he was about to cry.

"Mom-!" Seto chocked out. He tried to complete his sentence, but the words were no match for the pent up emotion threatening to spill out of him. "M-Mary's. . . . mom. . . . She-she. . . ." he could get it out and tears started streaming from her eyes.

"Oh honey," she said. She held his face in her hands, pulling his head down to rest on her shoulder, he back hunched immensely due to their height difference. Seto clung to her back and she hugged him while rubbing his back soothingly, "It's okay, it's okay to cry."

* * *

When Seto woke up he noticed a lot of things wrong with him. His body was stiff from sleeping weird, his eyes were puffy and sticky from crying, his nose was congested, he had a throbbing headache, and his throat was so dry he wasn't even sure if he could talk. His room was dark still, and it had been dark when he fell asleep so he probably hadn't even slept as long as he hoped.

There were a lot of things swirling around in his mind, probably not helping the headache, but he addressed the one question on his mind that might not hurt if he answered it: What time was it?

A small digital clock laid on his otherwise bare bedside table, but it was facing away from him. He reached out groggily to turn it back and discovered it was barely past three in the morning. Seto groaned inwardly, the answer hurting him more than expected, and let his hand fall limply over the side of the bed. He already knew he wasn't going back to bed, but that was not good. If he was awake, he'd have to think, and thinking was too hard right now. Or maybe he didn't want to be awake because when he was asleep he didn't have to feel the heaviness in his chest.

Since there was no way Seto was going back to bed, he pushed himself off his mattress. He stumbled at first, his legs wobbling slightly, but since there was nothing else really in his room other than his bed and the bedside table he had no fear of tripping or falling over anything. He then stumbled silently down the dim hallway and to where the kitchen was.

Surprisingly there was a light on in the kitchen. At first Seto was confused, but then he remembered Kano lived here and it was not unusual. Well, it was either him or someone just forgot to turn it off before they went to bed, but he seriously doubted the latter. But when he entered the kitchen he didn't see anyone, not that he really looked though. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard before turning on the tap to fill it.

"You're up early." Kano's voice broke the early morning silence. Seto wasn't surprised to here him, as he had expected an appearance from him before. He cast a glance over to see the blonde sitting on the kitchen counter that had been empty when Seto first came in, the usual grin on his face.

"Guess, I am." was all Seto mumbled before turning off the faucet.

Then Kano said in a more serious tone, "How are you doing?"

Seto sighed. He hadn't really wanted to answer any of these type of questions this early in the morning. "Fine, just fine."

"Oooh a lie, and from Seto Kousuke. And I thought I'd seen everything." The blonde chuckled lightly.

Seto suddenly regretted answering the question and frowned. "I'm not in the mood for your jokes." Seto said rather harshly before taking his water and went to sit at their dinning room table located right next to the kitchen. He half expected Kano to take a hint and leave, but he came and sat in the chair across from him.

"I'm sorry." Kano said.

Seto was silent for a moment before answering. "It's okay." he said softly, "But what are you doing up?"

Kano shrugged his shoulders, nonchalantly. "Eh, couldn't sleep." he said, "So I decided to go for a walk. Just got back from it."

Seto twirled his finger on the table in a circular pattern for some reason. "You should be careful." Seto warned.

"I'll be fine." Kano assured, "I'm more concerned about _you_." He looked expectantly at Seto, but the boy didn't say anything. "Come on, tell me." Kano persisted, "Something's wrong with you."

Seto looked up at him at that. "Mary's mom just died, what do you think is wrong with me?"

Kano held his hands up dramatically. "Okay, okay, I'm an idiot." he admitted, "But, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think that was the main reason you were crying before."

Seto blinked at him. He was somewhat right. Although he was upset about Mary's mom, he'd mainly felt useless to Mary and how she'd just left. He knew it wasn't her fault that she had to go, but he felt like he should have done something more. "I have to say," said Seto, "that it is scary how perceptive you are sometimes."

"Why thank you." Kano laughed lightly and grinned, "So, you're saying I'm right?"

Seto sighed, "I don't know. . . Yes." He looked up at Kano who was obviously waiting for him to continue. "I tried to- I wanted to help her, but it felt like she was pushing me away. It hurts when I think about it that way because I want to help her, even if it means hurting myself. . . ." Seto felt like he was just babbling now, going completely off topic, but that really was how he felt.

Kano sighed, "That's called love nature boy."

"Yeah," Seto gave a little half smile, "I guess it is."

"Man, you're just now realizing you love your own girlfriend? That's kinda sad." Then Kano asked with a sly smile, "Were you two ever really going out?"

Instead of answering his question, Seto started laughing, not sure why he found that sentence so hilarious. It wasn't loud enough for anyone else in the house to hear, only for Kano to give him a quizzical look. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"I don't really know." replied Seto still laughing.

"My friend, I feel you are losing it." Kano sat back in the chair with his arms crossed over his chest. Seto continued laughing for at least two more minutes before calming himself and getting up from his chair. "Where are you going?" Kano asked.

Seto replied without looking back. "To Mary's house."


	10. The 42nd day

**A/N: Oh my gosh I didn't think I was going to update today, but Butterfly On Your Right Shoulder kept me going!**

* * *

**~The 42nd day~**

"Have you heard anything from Mary at all, Seto?" Ayano asked while placing a hand on said boy's shoulder.

"Seto shook his head. "No nothing." he replied solemnly. He knew Ayano didn't mean to make him upset, and that she was just concerned, but he'd have rather not talked about it right now

It had been almost two weeks since Mary had been gone. Everyone had been pretty shocked when told about what happened over the weekend. It had been Ayano who explained it all, since Seto didn't come to school for the first few days of that week, and no one could blame him. No one cried really, but anyone could tell the atmosphere around the group was depressing. There seemed to be a lot of raw tension in the air, especially when Seto did come back. Kano joked a little less, only a little, but whatever he did say usually sounded forced. No one was really as cheerful as they would have been on a regular basis, and both Kido and Takane seemed a little less tolerant of anyone.

But that atmosphere for the past three days had changed. Gradually everyone seemed to shift back into some sense of normalcy, but the mention of Mary was still a touchy topic. Nothing was exactly the same, it probably never would, but no one seemed as unhappy, except maybe Seto.

"Maybe you should try calling her yourself." That was Jalin, the new surprising member of their group.

It turned out that the Monday of last week that Javier and Hannah had forced Jalin to apologize for how he treated Mary and Seto on the first day of school. They had found out about that Seto didn't know and kind of didn't want to. But of course, surprise, surprise, neither Mary or Seto had been there that day, causing Ayano to spill out the whole story for them and later telling Seto about it at home. Later that week, when Seto did come to school, he wasn't surprised to have Jalin, along with Hannah, come up to him and apologize for what happened on the first day of school and sorry about what happened to Mary's mom. He said it in the most unconvincing way possible, almost as if reading it. Seto wouldn't have been surprised if he turned around and saw Javier standing behind him holding up flash cards for Jalin to read off him, but he didn't look back. Instead he accepted Jalin's apology because he felt that things didn't always go well for the guy, that and he had preferred to get it over as soon as possible. After that, the boy just kept wandering over to the table as if it was what he did everyday. He never really talked much, which was why it surprised Seto when he spoke.

"No," Seto replied, "And even if I did have a number to contact her I wouldn't. she'd going through a rough time, I don't want to bother her."

"Any idea when she'll be back?" asked Javier.

The conversation was just getting better and better. "No." he replied.

Thankfully Takane was there to urn the course of the talk. "Yeah, I wonder how long the vice principle can keep holding out for, before our schools society crumbles." She spoke without any emotion, probably not in a good mood again.

The question was on everyone's mind, but only Shintaro was brave enough to voice it. "What the hell are you grumbling about now?"

"I'm not grumbling, I'm stating a common fact." The girl snapped back, "Without our principle this school will fall. I don't know, maybe I'm just feeling extremely pessimistic today and spouting random crap."

"We don't have a principle?" Hannah asked, confused, "Why not?"

"I don't see why you're so concerned. Shouldn't we think of the school 'falling', as Takane put it, sort of a good thing?" Javier said.

"We don't have a principle because Mary's grandmother is our principle." Seto explained. Again the subject came around to Mary.

"Ah, don't feel bad Seto." Kano leaned on Seto's shoulder, a grin clearly evident on his face, "Soon Mary will come back and you two can fall dramatically in each others arms and live happily ever after~"

Seto could tell Kano was just trying to lift the heavy tension threatening to settle over, and he appreciated that. "Thanks Kano."

Kido shifted on the other side of the table, in between Javier and Hannah, to rest her chin in her propped up hands. "I don't think you're making him feel better." she stated to Kano.

"No. I'm pretty sure he feels better, right Seto." Kano nudged him.

"Yeah, sure Kano." Seto said and offered a little half smile.

* * *

After school, Seto just walked home by himself. Instead of waiting for Kano, Kido, and Ayano, he left immediately from class to walk home. Well, Mary's home. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the concern and help from his family, but after a week or so of it, he felt like he needed a little time to himself.

Again when he walked in the door, he was greeted with barks of joy from Enishi. The scruffy stray never got tired of seeing him and Seto was the same. "Hey boy, how ya doing today?" Seto asked, even though he knew the dog could respond and started rubbing his head and neck affectionately. "Anything exciting happen while I was gone?" he joked.

Enishi yipped and wriggled free of Seto's rubbing grasp. The dog ran to the entrance of the living room before turning back to look at Seto expectantly. When Seto didn't move, Enishi barked.

Seto just gave him a puzzled look, "What?" Enishi just barked again before trotting into the living room. At first Seto didn't move; he had no idea what was going on. So instead of hurrying, he slowly shrugged his bag off his shoulder and headed for the living room.

He'd only made it three steps past the entrance before he stopped dead in his tracks. On the worn green couch, taking up barely half the space, was Mary. She didn't move as he walked in or hear when he breathed out her name. Seto was completely dumbfounded, his head was spinning and no matter how much his mind was kicking him to move, his legs felt like they were welded to the ground. He waited for Mary to notice him, but she remained unmoving.

It took him ten minutes before he actually lift one of his legs, which felt fifteen pounds heavier than it actually was. Seto made his way over slowly before he found himself by the edge of the couch just staring down at her, wondering if she was even real or if his mind had finally snapped.

She was asleep, which explained her totally unresponsiveness to him. Her small suitcase was leaning against the end side of the couch. She probably hadn't even been home for ten minutes before crashing here on the couch. Seto pondered the idea of waking her, but judging from the dark rings that were forming under her eyes he decided against it. The only thing was that he didn't want to leave her on the couch.

Now Seto was a nice guy, and every once in a while he felt that he was a little too nice for his own good. This, carrying Mary to her own room, was one of those times. He was happy to do it though and in the end, despite nearly dropping Mary in the process, managed to make it to her room and place her bed. She hadn't even stirred.

Looking at her now, it nearly broke his heart at how defenseless and vulnerable she seemed in her sleep. He wanted her here, but at the same time, he wasn't sure if that was the best thing for her. He had no idea what he should say to her when she woke up, or even if she'd just throw him out. But even with these thought he felt a mix of emotions he wasn't very familiar with.

Seto placed a hand gently on her wrist. "I'm sorry."

* * *

When Mary opened her eyes it wasn't as light as it had been when she first fell asleep. In fact it took her a few seconds to remember where she was. She reached up to scrub the remnants of new and dried tears from her eyes before she looked around and discovered two things. The first was that she was in her bedroom in her bed and not the living room on the green couch where she distinctly remembered falling asleep. And the second seemed to answer the unspoken question forming in her head at realization one when she turned her head to see Seto resting his head, asleep on the edge of her bed with a hand on her wrist.

Mary couldn't help it, but was so surprised at seeing Seto that she screamed and sat up. Of course her screaming woke Seto up who fell out of the chair he had been sitting on.

Forgetting the racking of her heart in her chest, Mary immediately looked over the side where Seto had fallen to the floor. "Waaaaah! Seto, are you okay?" she asked in concern.

Seto sat up from the floor rubbing the back of his head, but other than that looking unhurt. "Uh yeah. For someone who just fell on the floor I feel pretty good." he said jokingly and then looked up at her and smiled.

Mary felt relieved that he was alright, but then another thought occurred to her. "Seto. . . . You're still here?" Her voice was soft and she avoided eye contact with him to look at her hands twisting in the blankets.

Seto slowed his motions in picking up the turned over chair from the ground. "Y-yeah, I stayed."

"You. . . . Never went home?" She asked, finding this somewhat surprising.

"No, I did." came his reply, "but then I came back. Thought I might as well leave the light on for you." Mary smiled slightly at his attempt to make jokes. She could tell he was really trying. But then he added, "And. . . . I missed you."

Mary looked up at him, but now his eyes were avoiding hers. "I missed you too, Seto." she replied softly.

Suddenly Mary was flooded with warmth. She blinked when she realized Seto was hugging her, his arms wrapped around her thin frame, holding onto her so tight almost like his life depended on it or he was afraid she might disappear. She felt a shudder reverberated through his body and his voice whispered shakily in her ear, "Mary. . . . I'm so sorry."

Mary's eyes widened as she heard his voice break at the end and his body trembled against hers. She'd never seen Seto cry before. He'd always seemed like such a happy, cheerful person that it was hard to ever imagine him crying. And now, with only hearing him, it was already too terrible to bear.

He whispered it over and over again, softer and softer till she almost couldn't hear his voice anymore. There were already too many tears shed these past two weeks, hers included. The last person she wanted on Earth to cry for her sake was Seto.

Her small arms hugged him back as best she could with the limited amount of movement she could muster, her hands clutching at the fabric of his uniform shirt in desperation. "Seto. Seto, please don't cry." she begged, probably not sounding very convincing with the amount of emotion in her voice and her eyes filling with tears.

At her words Seto pulled back. His hands were still gripping firmly at her arms and his wet brown eyes boring straight into hers. "I don't want to pretend anymore." he said. Mary blinked in confusion at first, not understanding what he was talking about. But one of his hands let go of her arm to come up and cup her cheek. "Mary, I love you." Seto murmured and pulled their lips together

Today was just full of too many surprises, and Mary was still trying to process them all, but when Seto kissed her she stopped trying to think. Instead she melted into his embrace and started to kiss him back shyly. New tears started flowing from her now closed eyelids, but it was for an entirely different reason now.

It didn't last much longer after that, but still Mary was reluctant to let Seto go. When he finally did pull back it took all about three seconds before the color rose to Mary's cheeks, matching Seto's. And despite the fact that both their eyes were still damp and red from crying, wide smiles broke out on their faces. She flung herself at Seto, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, knowing in that moment that everything was going to be alright.

* * *

**Yes, I know. This is so cheesy we could no doubt make grilled cheese sandwiches for every single person logged onto right now with all this cheese. Oh well. But anyway, I just wrote the first kissing scene for this story (even though I suck at kissing scenes). No doubt the first of many to come. I mean, come on, I am a girl after all. Anyway the next chapter will be Hibiya's birthday, which in real life happens to be today or yesterday or whatever depending on where you live I guess. So Happy Birthday Hibiya! I will celebrate your birthday in a week~**

**Lovin' you always,**

**Neku~**


	11. The 56th day

**Hello~ Guess what? This chapter is filled with so much stuff that doesn't even really push the story along at all. But after this chapter I will be focusing primarily back on Takane and Haruka so yay, can't wait for that. Until then enjoy my Hibiya Birthday Fluff!**

**Oh and if your wondering about all the Pokémon stuff, that was mainly for my co-author~ He is pretty much the one that made up most of the ideas, I just do all the work and write them down mainly. There really is no point to this at all.**

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**~The 56th day~**

Hibiya didn't remember falling asleep in class, but before he knew it, class was over and he stirred to someone furiously shaking his shoulder.

"Hibiya. Hibiya, wake up!"

Hibiya opened his tired brown eyes and lifted his head up from the desk. When he did the hand left his shoulder. He scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms to get the sleep out and then stared at the figure in front of him.

"Hiyori?" he mumbled unintelligently when his vision came into focus. The raven haired girl stood there with her hands on her hips looking at him expectantly. Her hair was in a ponytail today, he couldn't help but notice.

"If you're done napping, can we go eat now? I'm starving." she said.

"Uh yeah." Hibiya got up a bit too quickly and ended up bumping his knee on his desk. He winced, but ignored the pain.

"Are you okay?" Hiyori asked in concern when she noticed him wince.

"Yeah. I'm fine." he assured her, though it probably didn't sound at all convincing.

"Oh." she said, "Um, Hibiya? You have a little something. . . . Here." Hiyori tapped on the right corner of her mouth, but was referring to him.

Hibiya frowned and felt where Hiyori had pointed to. Immediately he turned away, his face flushing with embarrassment as he wiped the drool running from his mouth to his chin. When he turned back Hiyori had an amused look on her face.

"Shall we go then?" she asked and he could tell by her voice she was trying not to laugh. He just nodded and grabbed his bag as Hiyori already started out the door. The day was only half over and he already felt like a big idiot. And on his birthday too.

~0~

As soon as Hibiya and Hiyori walked into the cafeteria they were formally greeted by Kano. Hibiya couldn't help, but think that the cat-eyed boy had been waiting for him the whole time; he wouldn't put it past him. Kano wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders, ultimately pushing them apart and inserting himself in the middle.

"Ah, Hibiya-kun~ where have you been? We've all been looking for you." Kano asked laughing.

"Please don't embarrass me, please don't embarrass me,"

Hibiya begged silently in his head, but it always seemed like a hopeless prayer whenever Kano was involved.

"He fell asleep in class." Hiyori answered. At least she wasn't nervous around Kano.

Kano laughed again. "Yeah that's just like him." he said and Hibiya frowned at both of them, but mainly Kano. "So Hibiya, has anyone said 'Happy Birthday' to you, or will I be the first?"

Hibiya sighed. "No, you would be the second. My mom was the first."

"Darn, have to try harder next time I guess." he said.

"What? It's your birthday?" Hiyori looked past Kano to Hibiya.

Kano gave a scandalized look at Hibiya. "You didn't tell her it was your birthday?" He brought his arm from around Hibiya to cover his mouth in mock surprised. "And I thought you told her everything."

Hibiya just rolled his eyes. There were good reasons why he didn't tell Hiyori. Maybe the first was that he didn't think she'd really care. Why she even hung around him after the incident with the door was a mystery to him. He also didn't want to tell her because if he did and she couldn't give him anything for his Birthday, he didn't want her to feel bad about it because then he'd feel bad about making her feel bad.

"Maybe I just didn't feel it was important." he said. He watched as Kano looked at him then at Hiyori, but he didn't say anything.

Hibiya barely managed a sigh of relief when Kano said, "Well everybody's waiting for you, so come on. Oh, and your girlfriend can come too, if she wants." He smiled innocently.

And just when Hibiya thought it couldn't get any worse, it got worse.

"Why didn't you tell me it was your Birthday?" As soon as he sat down Hiyori bombarded him with the question and shoved him.

Hibiya's back hit against Shintaro's shoulder. "I-I don't know. . . ." She crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a look.

"Um, is everything okay?" Ayano asked with a nervous smile as she noticed the tension between the two.

Shintaro whispered over to her, "I think Hibiya's having girl problems."

Hibiya, of course being right next to him, heard him. "I am not!" he insisted.

After that, the whole table seemed to erupt into chaos. Hibiya started to attempt at explaining himself to Hiyori. Some how Takane got in a fight with Shintaro at some point with Haruka and Ayano attempting to be peace makers and holding the two back from each other. Seto and Mary had been the quiet ones at the end of the table. But when Seto leaned over to kiss Mary's forehead Kano had instantly popped up between them.

"No public displays of affection, children." he said with a laugh. Both Seto and Mary blushed in embarrassment, obviously thinking no one was paying attention. He went onto tease them until Kido had had enough and yanked his ear for him to stop.

Everything went on like that for eleven minutes.

"HEY!" Everyone stopped as Momo yelled and slammed both her palms on the table. When everyone had stopped in their actions, the orange blonde smiled sweetly. "Good~ oh Happy Birthday Hibiya." she said looking over at him, "And you say I never care."

"I've never said that before." Hibiya said confused.

"Yeah, well you can't say it now." she pointed out. Hibiya just rolled his eyes.

"Hey, are we going to give him his presents or not?" Hannah asked, peaking out from behind Momo with her hands behind her back.

"Yeah, go ahead." Momo said and waved her and the other two behind her on.

"Wait! Can I give Hibiya his present?" Kano asked.

Momo shrugged and handed him plastic bag that it was contained inside. "Knock yourself out." she said. Without anyone really knowing Kido mumbled under her breath, "Literally."

Hannah still held her hands behind her back. "Hey Hibiya." she said.

Hibiya half smiled back. "Hi Hannah."

"Well this is from me, Javier, and Jalin, though mainly me and Javier." she said. Then she pulled her hands from behind her back and pulled the present over Hibiya's head.

"Surprise, Squirtle hat!" she said in an over exaggerated way. "Sorry if you hate it. It was either that or a Jiggly puff one."

"Yeah and y'know, we have to save that one for Jalin's birthday." Javier said.

Jalin frowned at both of them, "So mean."

"Uh thanks guys." Hibiya said. He glanced over to where Hiyori was looking at him and felt somewhat self conscience.

"Okay, my turn." Kano said and stepped closer to Hibiya. "Happy Birthday Hibi-chan~!" he said stretching out the plastic bag toward him.

"Please don't call me that ever again." Hibiya groaned as he heard Hiyori and a few others trying and failing to contain their laughter.

"This is from, pretty much everyone else, and Hiyori-chan can be included in that too."

Inside the bag was a Mudkip back pack. That was two Pokemon presents in one day. Usually Hibiya would be ecstatic by that, but with Hiyori around he felt embarrassed. Hopefully the whole day wouldn't be like this.

~0~

"You are all a bunch of nerds." Kido said bluntly.

"Kido that hurts," Kano said as he looked up from his DS, "We're just trying to have fun. You should join us."

Kido glanced around at the six other souls residing on the facing benches besides herself. Hibiya, Hiyori, and Jalin sat on one and Kano, Javier and Hannah. Apparently, from what she knew, they were all supposed to have some Pokemon battle thing right now. She'd thought that maybe the infatuation of those little cartoon creatures was just some disease most of the guys in her life had caught, but judging from Javier, Jalin, and apparently Hannah too, it was universal. What amazed her the most was that she was even here.

"I think I'll pass on that." Kido said and leaned against the wall of one of the school buildings.

"Kido, if you don't want to play, why are you here?" Kano asked.

Kido sighed. "Seto and Mary were nowhere to be found after school, Ayano-nee walked home with Shintaro and-"

"Aw, and Kido didn't want to feel like a burden." Kano looked at her sympathetically, but Kido could tell he was suppressing a smile.

"Yeah, sure, something like that. And Ayano was totally against me walking home by myself, and since Momo is at practice that means I'm stuck here with all of you." She looked at Kano to see if he had any further questions, but he didn't.

"Dammit! Javier I hate you, I hate you so much!" Hannah slammed the DS shut and gave it back to it's rightful owner, which was Jalin.

"Ha ha! I told you, I'm the Pokemon master." Javier said laughing, "And you know you don't hate me." Hannah just huffed indignantly and continued to childishly pout. "I bet none of you could beat me."

Kano turned his attention away from Kido to face Javier. "Is that a challenge?" the blonde asked.

"It's more like a promise."

And after that all Kido did was endlessly shake her head. She watched as Jalin, Kano, and Hibiya all tried to defeat Javier. Both Hiyori and Hannah, feeling they had no place among them, came to stand by Kido and watch.

Kido watched with a mixture of complete and utter fascination at their stupidity and slight amusement. It didn't even take thirty minutes before Javier had both Jalin and Kano beat. It almost made her laugh in the way Kano just collapsed in utter defeat on the floor, and Hannah couldn't stop laughing at Jalin's reaction. Though there were some things shouldn't be described

Finally it all came down to Hibiya. Kido could tell he was nervous due to the sweat she saw beaded on his forehead. She rolled her eyes. They were all idiots.

"I'm sorry Hibiya." Javier said, "I'm going to have to crush you, even if it is your birthday." And with that it was over. Kido didn't think she'd ever seen Hibiya cry before, but he looked pretty close to it after that.

When all was said and done, Kido nudged Kano with her foot. "Hey, if you're done being all dramatic, can we go home now?"


End file.
